Nationals Make Offer to Teixeira

Teixeira, who turns 29 next April, has averaged 34 home runs and 113 runs batted in since breaking into the big leagues in 2003. This year, he hit .308 with 33 homers and 121 RBI while splitting his season between the Atlanta Braves and the Angels. He has also won two Gold Glove awards as the best defensive first baseman in his league.

However, Teixeira's critics point out he has been elected to only one all-star game and has never finished higher than seventh in a most valuable player vote. The Nationals' offer, if accepted, would tie for the fifth-highest guaranteed contract ever given to a baseball player, behind the $275 million and $252 million deals given to Alex Rodriguez in 2001 and 2008, respectively, the $189 million contract for Derek Jeter in 2001 and CC Sabathia's agreed-upon $161 million deal with the Yankees.

Meantime, Bowden shot down rampant speculation the Nationals had interest in another Boras client, superstar slugger Manny Ramírez.

"We've made one offer" to Teixeira, Bowden said, "and there's one free agent Scott represents that we have interest in at this time."

Nationals Notes: The team released reliever Jesús Colome, leaving two open spots on its 40-man roster. At least one of those spots is expected to be filled at Thursday's Rule 5 Draft, in which the Nationals will be picking first among unprotected players from other teams' rosters.

Among the top targets are left-handed pitcher Chuck Lofgren (Cleveland Indians), right-handed pitcher Eduardo Morlan (Tampa Bay Rays) and first baseman Jordan Brown (Indians). . . .

The Nationals and Rockies have revived talks of a trade that would send pitcher Tim Redding to Colorado for center fielder Willy Taveras, according to a source familiar with the talks. The snag in earlier talks was a failed physical by a prospect the Nationals would be getting in the deal, but the teams are now trying to reach an agreement on a different prospect.