FoxSports: Astros on verge of major deal (Possibly Tejada)

790 is the ONLY group reporting this. And it's all David Dalati, really.

They're saying they have good sources...dismissing the idea that the fact the O's management left the meetings means anything considering they normally make trades from a distance over cell phones anyway.

 

The O's have been so good about completing deals in the past, I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume something will get done.

In other news, a peace agreement has been reached in the Middle East. I know the guys walked out of the room in a huff while muttering obscenities in Arabic, but I'm telling you this deal is "likely".

 

forget astros pr i guess.... probably more like 790 trying to get ratings

 

they certainly sound really sure of themselves.

 

Trade for Tejada - then watch him get washed away in the Mitchell report. What is Uncle Drayton's fascination with this guy? Luckily (and hopefully) Angelos gets in the way of Tejada deals.

 

I really hope its not Tejada...it just doesn't make sense considering the things that have come out of Wade and Cooper's mouths....and especially considering we need PITCHING.

JUST SAY NO.

 

Trading for Tejada would be flat out stupid for that price.

 

And Ortiz files this report this afternoon...with zero mention of Tejada.
Good news on Loretta, though.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/sports/5357769.html

Loretta likely to accept arbitration today


By JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

TOOLS

NASHVILLE — As the winter meetings concluded today, Astros general manager Ed Wade picked up a lefthanded reliever in the Rule V draft, left some trade offers on the table and found out that in all likelihood he will get veteran infielder Mark Loretta back Friday.

The Astros offered Loretta salary arbitration last week. And barring some unforeseen developments, he will accept arbitration before the deadline to do so Friday at midnight.

Loretta's agent, Bob Garber, checked out of the Gaylord Opryland Resort this morning ahead of the Astros shortly after the Rule V draft.

"If we had to decide today, we would accept arbitration," Garber said of Loretta, who stands to make about $4 million in arbitration on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. "But there's a couple of teams we're still talking to that would offer him a little more playing time.

"But if Mark goes back to the Astros, he's confident he'll end up with his typical amount of at-bats he somehow finds a way to end up with."

Loretta hit .287 (52-for-460) over 133 games while earning starts at shortstop, second base, first base and third base for the Astros in 2007.

Loretta and lefthanded reliever Trever Miller, two popular and respected veterans in the clubhouse, were the only two free agents who received salary arbitration from the Astros.

If they accept, they'll automatically go on the club's 40-man roster. Astros general manager Ed Wade has been adamant that he offered them arbitration because he'd gladly take them back or accept the compensatory draft picks if they signed elsewhere.

"I gave Bob an honest appraisal of what my thinking of the role is on our club and how we're structured," Wade said. "If you look at us right now you'd say it was a utility-type role, where he's got the ability to play shortstop. (Geoff) Blum does also. It gives us a veteran presence.

"And at the same time I've told Bob (that) Mark got into a lot of situations where that's been the job description and he comes on the back end with 425, 450 at-bats. He was asking me a little bit of playing time. I said playing time is the product of a player's performance and the manager's managerial decision. It's not the GM's call."

The New York Yankees, Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies expressed interest in Loretta.

In the major league portion of the Rule V draft, the Astros took lefthanded reliever Wesley Wright from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Righthander Giuseppe Norrito was taken from the Dodgers in the Class AAA phase of the draft.

Wright, 22, spent 2007 between Class AA Jacksonville and Class AAA Las Vegas, combining for a 3.92 ERA while giving up 34 earned runs over 78 innings through 44 games. At Jacksonville, he was 6-2 with a 2.49 ERA, two saves and 68 strikeouts while giving up 17 earned runs over 61 1/3 innnings.

"He's a very athletic left-hand pitcher, a really good competitor," said new Astros East Coast scouting supervisor Clarence Johns. "He profiles down the line to be a back-of-the-bullpen type of arm. He has a chance right now to go out and contribute.

"He's a guy who, in my opinion, has a chance to be one of the multiple-appearances guys, comes out and eats a lot of innings, saves the bullpen. He's a medium frame guy but has a lightning quick arm."

Johns was the area scout who signed Wright for the Dodgers after he was taken in the seventh round of the June 2003 draft.

Because of his time in the organization, Wright had to be added to Los Angeles' the 40-man roster this winter or be exposed to the Rule V draft.

The Astros paid Los Angeles $50,000 for the pick, but they must return him to the Dodgers' organization for half that price if he doesn't remain on the major-league 25-man roster all year.

"Wesley is a good looking prospect," said De Jon Watson, the Dodgers' assistant general manager of player development. "It always hurts to lose a young lefthander like that, especially if he has a chance to pitch at the major league level. This young man it's a matter of him getting control of his fastball, having better fastball command. He has a good breaking ball."

On other fronts, the Astros set the stage for potential trades later this winter.

"I don't think anything is going to happen here today," Wade said. "There's still some things in play that have some measure of significance, but I don't know that we're going to get to the finish line on them or not. There's a lot of moving parts that we don't have control over. There's a lot of multiple-team scenarios being played out. We've sort of put our position on the table, 'Here it is.'

"And now it's up to, in one instance, one club, and, in another instance, a couple of clubs to sort of look at it and see, 'Does this fit in to what we're trying to do.' We're a player in a few things, but we're not the club that's in position to say, deal."

jesus.ortiz@chron.com

 

you got to make your fans think you are being active when you are a retread GM

 

he made tons of deals in Philly.

the astros have absolutely been active so far....criticize wade all you want, but i'd say he's doing a pretty good job so far.

 

at least he's doing SOMETHING unlike Timmy P.

 

Since everybody loved the job our first time GM did.

 

52 for 460? I'm pretty sure that comes out to a Jason Lane like .113 BA. He scored 52 runs last season and had 132 hits, dingleberry.

 

So lying about being active is a good idea?

 

"think" he is being active?

Ummmmm Im pretty sure anyone paying slight attention to the Astros offseason moves can conclude that Ed Wade is being VERY active.

 

my friend sent me this

790 AM in Houston is reporting that the Astros are close to acquiring Miguel Tejada from the Orioles for Adam Everett, Chris Burke and a pitcher.MLB.com's sources Tuesday were reporting that the chances of an Astros-Orioles deal had dropped to "zero," so we'll remain skeptical until further confirmation comes along.

 

what's the source for this.

the "dropped to zero" language was thrown out there on 12/4...790 is reporting the talks rekindled.

i'm not saying the deal will happen...but i think 790 is contemplating that they tried a deal earlier this week...it didn't work...the parties walked away...and now they're talking again. Dalati is saying a deal is "likely."

 

While I'm not going to be disappointed in adding someone like Tejada, I worry that we aren't using the few bargaining chips that we have on starting pitching. I don't think I've heard us seriously attached to any starting pitchers. I'm sure they are trying but it would be nice to know that they are spending their best efforts on what we need the most.

 

Agreed,we need pitching in the worse way...a couple of starters and a closer.I don't like the idea of dealing AE.Tejada playing third would be great,but don't get rid of the defense up the middle.We absolutely can't afford to go the "PR" route (more dingers,etc.) and not reconstruct the staff.While I root for Backe and Jennings to recover from their injuries we sure as heck can't afford to go into the season without some quality/healthy inning eaters.

 

Here we go:

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7532262

Sources: O's, Astros discuss Tejada
Ken Rosenthal
FOXSports.com, Updated 11 minutes ago STORY TOOLS:


The Astros have had significant discussions with the Orioles about shortstop Miguel Tejada, but the two sides are not close to a deal, according to major-league sources.

The Astros apparently believed a trade was possible Wednesday night, telling at least two other clubs that they were on the verge of a major deal. It is not clear whether their focus was Tejada.
Astros officials said Thursday morning that nothing was imminent, suggesting perhaps that the talks had faded. Other sources also indicated that the discussions were not in an advanced phase.

A Houston radio station reported Thursday that the Astros were close to acquiring Tejada for shortstop Adam Everett, second baseman Chris Burke and a pitcher.

Such a return would not be nearly enough for the Orioles, according to one source. Andy MacPhail, the team's president of baseball operations, would need to be "overwhelmed" for Tejada, the source said.

The Astros' interest in Tejada dates to July 2006, when they tried to acquire him for Roy Oswalt, only to have the deal quashed by Orioles owner Peter Angelos.

Everett was one reason Angelos vetoed the deal; the Astros included him in their offer for Tejada, and Angelos did not want him.