Mark Teixeira wasn't initially on the Yankees' radar this past offseason. Following the Yankees' signings of CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, Brian Cashman convinced the Steinbrenners to pursue Teixeira after the first baseman's talks with the Red Sox broke down. "Teixeira never was really an option," Cashman said. "It was something I kept pushing, but it was not really being accepted by above me . . . I guess persistence paid off. I knocked on that door, I guess, just enough that someone finally answered. Hal really gave me the OK to pursue it over a few-day period. And at that point, I still thought the Red Sox were getting him."