Miguel Tejada has apparently asked Baltimore to trade him to a contender. Wow, that was fast...
When Tejada signed his six year $72M contract with the Orioles, I wondered why Billy Beane would let his shortstop go and instead sign Eric Chavez to a fat contract. At the time, I didn't know who Bobby Crosby was or what he could become. I still say that the A's should've found a way to make a Crosby/Tejada pairing work out. I know Chavez has put up some good numbers in the past but I just don't see him as a complete player. He can't hit lefties at all and he's no better at the OBP/OPS thing than Tejada is. I see Tejada as a better hitter, able to drive in more runs and ever-so-slightly more selective at the plate.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there since Beane made his choice and Tejada made his to leave. What I wonder is if the Red Sox will take this opportunity to trade for Tejada, using the chip they got from Atlanta (Andy Marte) in the Renteria trade. For the Red Sox, they'd be adding another bat and grabbing an average defensive player. For the Orioles, they'd be obliging Tejada's request and bringing in a hot-shot rookie. The O's could move Melvin Mora back to his natural position at SS and start Marte at the hot corner.
The only question is how much money, if any, the O's would pick up on Tejada's contract. With four years and $48M left on his deal, the Red Sox might be a little reluctant to add that kind of money when they've already to pay $11M to the Braves in the Renteria fiasco. Would the Red Sox want to have a $59M commitment at the SS position for two players (with only one on the roster)?
Somehow I have a feeling that Tejada will end up in Boston. I think they're privately pissed that, despite winning the 2004 World Series, they haven't been able to come up with the blockbuster "In Your Eye, Steinbrenner" type of trade that Larry Lucchino desperately wants to make. I would not be surprised if Tejada goes to Boston as a hedge on the Manny situation where Boston would then be able to replace one righty slugger for another and accept pitching, instead of hitting, in return for trading Ramirez.
The key to this, of course, is what the Yankees do about CF. There was talk late last month of asking Derek Jeter to move to the outfield which would then slide ARod back to SS. While I have no reason to believe that the Yanks will pursue Tejada, I could see them inquiring as to Tejada's willingness to move to 3B in order to facilitate a trade to New York. Such a move would solve the Yankees' need for another bat, their need for a CF and would give Steinbrenner another chance to sneer at Lucchino in the press.
When Tejada signed his six year $72M contract with the Orioles, I wondered why Billy Beane would let his shortstop go and instead sign Eric Chavez to a fat contract. At the time, I didn't know who Bobby Crosby was or what he could become. I still say that the A's should've found a way to make a Crosby/Tejada pairing work out. I know Chavez has put up some good numbers in the past but I just don't see him as a complete player. He can't hit lefties at all and he's no better at the OBP/OPS thing than Tejada is. I see Tejada as a better hitter, able to drive in more runs and ever-so-slightly more selective at the plate.
Anyway, that's neither here nor there since Beane made his choice and Tejada made his to leave. What I wonder is if the Red Sox will take this opportunity to trade for Tejada, using the chip they got from Atlanta (Andy Marte) in the Renteria trade. For the Red Sox, they'd be adding another bat and grabbing an average defensive player. For the Orioles, they'd be obliging Tejada's request and bringing in a hot-shot rookie. The O's could move Melvin Mora back to his natural position at SS and start Marte at the hot corner.
The only question is how much money, if any, the O's would pick up on Tejada's contract. With four years and $48M left on his deal, the Red Sox might be a little reluctant to add that kind of money when they've already to pay $11M to the Braves in the Renteria fiasco. Would the Red Sox want to have a $59M commitment at the SS position for two players (with only one on the roster)?
Somehow I have a feeling that Tejada will end up in Boston. I think they're privately pissed that, despite winning the 2004 World Series, they haven't been able to come up with the blockbuster "In Your Eye, Steinbrenner" type of trade that Larry Lucchino desperately wants to make. I would not be surprised if Tejada goes to Boston as a hedge on the Manny situation where Boston would then be able to replace one righty slugger for another and accept pitching, instead of hitting, in return for trading Ramirez.
The key to this, of course, is what the Yankees do about CF. There was talk late last month of asking Derek Jeter to move to the outfield which would then slide ARod back to SS. While I have no reason to believe that the Yanks will pursue Tejada, I could see them inquiring as to Tejada's willingness to move to 3B in order to facilitate a trade to New York. Such a move would solve the Yankees' need for another bat, their need for a CF and would give Steinbrenner another chance to sneer at Lucchino in the press.
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