MVN: Most Valuable Network

As Thanksgiving approaches with the winter meetings not too far behind, Mark Teixeira is getting closer and closer to figuring out what ballpark he will call home next year.

There has not been a ton of chatter surrounding Teixeira, but everyone knows the two big players for 'Tex' are the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees. There are, however, a couple other teams in the mix. Here's a ranking of who is most likely to get Teixeira...

1. New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are going all out this winter, economy be damned. With the Yankees set to move into a new stadium that will send their revenue through the roof, they will continue to lead the field for a very, very long time in dollars spent.

The acquisition of Nick Swisher seems to have tempered most people's expectations that the Yankees will chase Tex, but I don't believe it for a second. Swisher can also play the outfield and the Yankees are missing Jason Giambi and have declines from Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui on the docket. In addition, it's no sure thing Bobby Abreu returns, either. There is plenty of room for Teixeira, and the Yankees know it.

The Yankees will do what they can to get Teixeira and ensure that their lineup doesn't experience another precipitous dropoff as it did in 2008.

2. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels figure to be players for either Teixeira or Sabathia. They have the advantage with Sabathia preferring to play in California and who wants no part of New York. If Sabathia can resist the dollars the Yankees are dangling in front of him, the chances that the Angels nab him are quite good.

Teixeira reportedly doesn't have such qualms, so it will be harder for the Angels to spirit him away from New York. It can be done, though, and with the club also presumably losing Juan Rivera and Garrett Anderson to free agency and watching Vladimir Guerrero get older, the Halos should be motivated to get Tex back into Angel threads.

3. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are reportedly dying to have Teixeira in red socks next year according to Tony Massarotti. He cites their silence on the subject as evidence. The Sox have the money, having gotten rid of Manny Ramirez, Curt Schilling and Coco Crisp.

It would create a crunch in Boston as the team would then have to decide between trading Mike Lowell or having Jacoby Ellsbury serve as the backup outfielder, but if Mazz is to be believed, you might as well start theorizing who Lowell will be traded to.

4. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles would love nothing more than to steal some headlines by bringing the hometown boy to Baltimore, but will they? Teixeira won't make them a contender alone, and their real issue is pitching, not hitting. They had one of the league's best offenses last year and one of the league's worst pitching, so they may choose to invest in pitching instead.

Then again, the Orioles have several big money contracts (Aubrey Huff, Ramon Hernandez, Danys Baez, etc.) coming off the docket after 2009 and 2010, so the money is there for them should they be willing to swallow a payroll too high for their win-loss record in 2009.

5. Toronto Blue Jays

This is my dark-horse candidate, and I feel I should mention two major caveats: First, there has been absolutely nothing linking Tex to Toronto. Second, Toronto G.M. JP Ricciardi has said he plans to stay out of the free agent market sans AJ Burnett. Sorry, not buying it.

Ricciardi's job is on the line this season and the team suffered from a power drought last year. The club is known to be exploring trading Lyle Overbay, so Teixeira would have a place to slide in. They've been linked to Milton Bradley and Manny Ramirez, so the potential is there that they make a below the radar bid for Teixeira. Unlikely to happen, but if it does, you heard it here first.

6. Washington Nationals

The Nationals are desperate to be relevant and not lose 100 games again. They could use a left-fielder and are close enough to Baltimore that they can sell the hometown tie. By signing Teixeira, they can install recently acquired Josh Willingham in left field.

There's not much else there, though. There's zero chance they can outbid any of the other teams on the list (except perhaps Toronto) and their team is just too bad. It's a long shot, but if they can offer enough money, promises and respects, they could land the big fish.