i would be happy with either, however if tejada would demand a trade, then we would be able to get some value in return for him...whereas soriano would just leave us with nothing like beltran. so it is a little different.
Have a new Tejada article. Insider: Orioles need to get moving -- and move Tejada Insider: Orioles need to get moving -- and move Tejada July 27, 2006 By Scott Miller CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer The smartest thing the Baltimore Orioles have done in years was decline to trade shortstop Miguel Tejada to the Chicago Cubs for Mark Prior last winter -- Prior is more fragile than a box of china behind the wheels of a U-Haul in reverse. That said, the next-smartest thing they could do is step up and trade Tejada in a major, stop-the-presses blockbuster deal between now and Monday's non-waivers trade deadline -- a deal in which they get pitching back (Jim Palmer can tell them what that is). Granted, using any variation of the word "smart" in the same sentence with a Peter Angelos-owned team is as silly as leaving your convertible top down in a thunderstorm. Still, as they say, even a blind squirrel stumbles upon an acorn every now and then ... The Houston Astros, having watched Roger Clemens endure another shutout the other night, are the-season-is-slipping-away-from-us desperate to add offense. They are aggressive on several fronts, sources tell CBS SportsLine.com, including with Milwaukee's Carlos Lee, Washington's Alfonso Soriano and yes, especially, Tejada. The Los Angeles Angels are also trying to pry Tejada away from the Orioles -- in their scenario, though, he would move over to third base, keeping Orlando Cabrera at short. Angels general manager Bill Stoneman is so focused on making a deal that when I reached him in his office late Wednesday, I thought the sheer surprise of someone other than another GM ringing in on the telephone was going to knock him clear off his office chair. How are the talks going, Bill? "We're still having them," the notoriously tight-lipped Stoneman said uneasily. So sign up the Angels, among others, for another case of No-Doz and Red Bull. Because, in this stale and stagnant market, it's going to take staying power to get things done. What Stoneman, Houston GM Tim Purpura and anybody else inquiring about Tejada have in common, according to league sources, is this: It's business as usual with the Orioles this trade deadline, who, under Angelos, remain caught somewhere between inert and paralyzed. And for what? This is their third season with Tejada, and each has been worse than the preceding one. The Orioles went 78-84 (.481) during Tejada's Baltimore-debut season of 2004. They slipped to 74-88 (.457) last summer. This summer, they're playing at a .451 clip -- and recently were savaged for lackadaisical play by manager Sam Perlozzo during an angry postgame meeting that nearly peeled the paint from the clubhouse walls. It's not working with Tejada -- last we checked, he's not a pitcher. And the latest hard lesson learned by the Orioles is that even if they go to Lourdes, er, Atlanta, to find a miracle-worker pitching coach, Leo Mazzone can't turn frogs into princes. Exhibit A: Daniel Cabrera, who has been demoted to Triple-A Ottawa. "Look, if I'm Baltimore, if they could get Adam Everett back (from Houston) to fill Tejada's spot, and Jason Hirsh, and something else, I'm in," an executive with one club says. There is no clear indication whether, when the rubber meets the road, the Astros can be convinced to deal Hirsh, a right-hander who's one of their prized pitching prospects. But part of that is because, according to sources with knowledge of Houston's discussions, the Astros-Orioles talks have not even reached the point of exchanging names -- because the Orioles continue to send mixed signals about whether they're willing to deal or whether they're going to stand pat. "I'm still hopeful that there are some teams here ready to make some things happen," says Purpura, who refuses to discuss the Tejada/Baltimore talks. "The deadline is what fuels things even more. "I've talked to probably a third of the teams today. I made some proposals and I've listened to proposals. There are reasons to be optimistic." When the Astros failed to score for Clemens on Tuesday night, it marked the fourth time in his seven starts this season that there was a "0" on the board for Houston when Clemens left the game. It has happened 16 times now over the past two seasons. The Astros fired hitting coach Gary Gaetti at the All-Star break. They acquired Aubrey Huff from Tampa Bay. They rank 15th in the NL in runs scored. They have racked up three or fewer runs 42 times in 101 games. Short of trading for Tejada, Lee or Soriano, there are few other impact bats out there. The clock is ticking toward Monday's trade deadline. And the Orioles keep hitting the snooze button.
Great comparison!!!! Man, how much are they paying you guys at Target??!?! If it's Brad Lidge money, sign me up!
But he can play 3rd*. *NOTE - this is in reference to the asinine suggestions by many on talk radio to move Bags to 3rd a few years ago.
That is the most interesting and thorough analysis I have seen yet on this board. Props to you for making a carefully crafted analogy!
Sorry guys. I think I overeacted. I am just mad at Brad Lidge! HE just sucks right now! IF Brad Lidge is fired, then he would have to work at Target like me! I have a lot of trouble making penuts compared to Brad Lidge and I don't suck like him! and my computer has been hving problems too , so I have been in a bad mood
You know Baltimore might be dumb enough to go for that deal. I remember a couple of deals we have made in the past with them that have seemed to work out pretty well for us. Glenn Davis come to mind?
This was a bone of contention with Bagwell. A pretty funny interview. Last year, when Ausmus got put in a blowout game at SS, Bagwell said he was upset about it. Apparently, he has asked every manager that the Astros had if he could play SS in "garbage time". He never did, but then Ausmus gets to play it and starts a double play.
Just found this on mlbtraderumors.com Baseball Prospectus author Will Carroll has opened up Will's Mill for the weekend, and he'll be burning up the phone lines fishing for all sorts of good trade rumors. Today he mentions an offer Tim Purpura has given to the Orioles for Miguel Tejada: Adam Everett, Morgan Ensberg, and Fernando Nieve. According to Carroll, Tim Purpura is focused on Tejada and is being urged by Roger Clemens to go get him. In Everett, the Orioles would be acquiring the game's best defensive shortstop. His hitting, at .241/.300/.327 this year, lags far behind the average AL shortstop. The average AL shortstop is hitting .286/.342/.423, similar to the work of Eric Chavez or A.J. Pierzysnki this year. On the 10th of June, Ensberg bruised his shoulder diving for a foul ball. He was hitting .256/.380/.562 at that point, though he hadn't done much in May or June. In Ensberg's 18 games after the shoulder bruise, he hit just .158/.422/.263. He drew plenty of walks but the power that resulted in 36 HR last year had vanished. Ensberg took live batting practice yesterday for the first time since being placed on the DL on July 10th. Nieve, 24, has a mid-90s fastball and a hard slider. He was just sent down to Triple A a week ago because of Brandon Backe, but had been demoted to the bullpen upon Roger Clemens's return in late June. It's just a 15 inning sample, but Nieve did pretty well as a reliever: 8.2 K/9, 2.94 ERA, 1.17 WHIP. As a starter he had a 5.6 K/9, 4.67 ERA, and 1.28 WHIP. It is a fact that many pitchers add several miles per hour to their fastball by switching to relief, and Nieve's two plus pitches make it easy to envision him as a future closer or top set-up man. No freakin way the Orioles take this offer.
