It has all the validity in the world.
I wonder if the financial crisis had anything to do with that? Everyone forgets, this is a business. The Sox, John Henry in particular, could very well be seeing his income from other areas taking a fall because of the financial crisis, and he needs to make up for it. So rather than raising ticket prices to an even more ridiculous level, they pocket the money they would have spent on a player that is far more luxury than need to them (Teixeira). And they still turn in an on-the-field product that has as good a chance to win the division as anyone else. Its that simple.