http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/83868...ra-leaving-town

Hoist the "For Sale" signs. The Braves are done.

A blown six-run lead on Saturday. A blown five-run lead on Sunday. Chipper Jones facing another stint on the disabled list. Brian McCann suffering a mild concussion in a home-plate collision with the Phillies' Shane Victorino.

The debate about whether to keep first baseman Mark Teixeira is over — the Braves are in fourth place in the N.L. East, 6 ½ games out, 10 ½ games back in the wild card. The question is how much the Braves can get for Teixeira in a trade.

I know, I know — there are no obvious fits. But teams jump when a player of Teixeira's caliber becomes available, even if only as a two-month rental. Don't tell me that no club wants a switch-hitting slugger who plays Gold Glove defense at first base. The thought is absurd.

For the Braves, the expected return is not the equivalent of the five-player prospect package they sent the Rangers a year ago for Teixeira and left-handed reliever Ron Mahay. No, the bar is set at the two premium draft picks the Braves would receive if Teixeira left as a free agent.

One of the following teams will beat that:

Diamondbacks

The Braves want a young first baseman in any package for Teixeira, but they need to expand their focus. For one thing, they're not getting the D-backs' Conor Jackson, who has a .919 on-base/slugging percentage — better than Teixeira's .896 — and is under club control for three more years.

The D-backs even would be hesitant to trade first baseman Chad Tracy, an accomplished if oft-injured slugger who is signed for a modest $4.75 million next season with a $7 million club option for 2010. Jackson has proven he can play left field, leaving Eric Byrnes to possibly fight for playing time next season.

Then again, the D-Backs could send Tracy to Atlanta and return Jackson to first next season, enabling Byrnes to reclaim left. They would need to include a second piece (Micah Owings?) and possibly a third, but two months of Teixeira would win them the N.L. West.

The D-backs, even after trading six young players for Dan Haren and another for Jon Rauch, still believe they have prospects to spare, particularly on the pitching side. They would make no attempt to re-sign Teixeria, but their likely free-agent departures — Teixeira, second baseman Orlando Hudson, closer Brandon Lyon, reliever Juan Cruz — could leave them with something like nine of the first 70 picks in next year's draft. While the draft is expected to be weak, the D-backs would be in good position to re-tool.

Red Sox

Leave it to Manny Ramirez to throw the trading season into chaos. But think about it: The Red Sox could become a player for Teixeira if they moved Ramirez — assuming they were willing to shift first baseman Kevin Youkilis to left field, a position he played 18 times in 2006.

OK, the idea is a little out there — Youkilis is a terrific defender at first, and the Sox would need to complete separate blockbusters involving Ramirez and Teixeira by Thursday's 4 p.m. ET deadline for non-waiver trades. That's a lot to ask, but it's just the type of mountain that general manager Theo Epstein loves to climb. Up, up and away.

Angels

They claim to be satisfied with their offense and have yet to give any indication that they are interested in Teixeira. But they could build an offer around first baseman Casey Kotchman, and they've got prospects to spare. The addition of Teixeira would make them the favorite to win the World Series.

Hate to keep repeating myself, but what exactly is the problem? The Angels possess the resources to re-sign Teixeira as a free agent. Teixeira on the same team with Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero would present tremendous marketing possibilities long-term.

Nah, forget it. Just keep Kotchman.

Rays

They lack a young first baseman, and more significantly, the willingness to part with major talent for a rental. First baseman Carlos Pena is a strong defender, so if the Rays added Teixeira, they would have the best-fielding DH in the league regardless of who was at first that day. The Rays' greater need is a quality reliever.

Dodgers

Here's a team that had the Indians pay the approximately $2 million left on Casey Blake's contract, parting with better prospects in exchange for the cash. The Dodgers also backed off an earlier trade for Blake, left-hander CC Sabathia and infielder Jamey Carroll for financial reasons, according to sources.

At least this time the Dodgers have a legitimate excuse: They shouldn't give up four years of first baseman James Loney for two months of Teixeira.

Yankees

They'll sniff around, particularly if the Red Sox get involved, but they've already made their big move and still intend to acquire a starting pitcher. The addition of Teixeira would make Richie Sexson expendable, force Jason Giambi to become a DH and all but require Jorge Posada to undergo season-ending surgery — all reasonable moves. It's the acquisition cost that would stop the Yankees.