If, as strongly rumored, the Orioles make a strong push to sign pending free agent Alfonso Soriano this winter, the question remains: Do they envision a lineup with both Soriano and Miguel Tejada?
I?m guessing not.
The latest skinny indicates that the Orioles will once again entertain offers for their shortstop, and there?s every indication that the Los Angeles Angels will be their strongest suitor.
You can?t blame the Orioles for thinking they might be better off without him. While Tejada continues to rank in the top five among American League batters, he still displays a frequent lack of hustle. If you saw Sunday?s game with the Yankees, you saw him hit a groundball his second time up and barely jog toward first base. As he peeled off 60 feet down the line and headed for the dugout, it momentarily appeared that someone in the stands said something to him about it, since he briefly stopped and stared into the seats.
There?s also the matter of where he?s hitting the ball. This season, you?re seeing more and more of his batted balls go to the right side. A lot of them end up as base hits, yes, but pro scouts who follow the team believe he?s lost some bat speed.
What Tejada does possess ? in abundance ? is instinct. He?s lost some range at shortstop, which is why you?re likely to see him at third base if he?s traded, but he still makes the occasional spectacular play, whether it?s a blind, behind-the-back toss to second for a force, or a back-to-the-plate grab of a short outfield fly. He knows where to play the hitters as well as anyone.
Tejada?s future in Baltimore may depend more on what the Orioles are offered in return than on whether the Orioles can entice Soriano to move up the parkway. Arte Moreno, the Angels? owner, has coveted Miguel for quite some time and is known to be unhappy that his GM, Bill Stoneman, didn?t acquire him in July. Moreno may be more willing to part with the prospects the Orioles wanted than Stoneman was and could make the deal himself. That?s right, Peter Angelos isn?t the only major league owner prepared to overrule his own club?s upper management.
As for Tejada himself, I just don?t believe he?s really happy here. Sure, I remember last offseason, when he initially asked to be traded, and then rescinded the demand in a three-way cell phone call that included teammate Melvin Mora. Even with that, he has never seemed like the player he was his first year here.
As for the possibility of Miggy and the Fonz in the same lineup, it?s no secret that Tejada was taken aback when he heard that the Dodgers had given Rafael Furcal $13 million a year over three years, a million more per season than Tejada makes here. Furcal?s resume doesn?t come close to Tejada?s, and he?s getting more?
If Soriano gets $15 million plus per year to play left field in Baltimore, Tejada?s future smiles may few and far apart. An unhappy player with three years and $36 million left on a contract is no bargain.
How they got here
» The Orioles signed Miguel Tejada as a free agent in 2003. His 2006 salary is $11.8 million.
» The Nationals acquired Alfonso Soriano this past offseason in a trade with the Texas Rangers for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge, as well as pitcher Armando Galarraga. His 2006 salary is $10 million.
Phil Wood has covered sports in the Washington-Baltimore market for more than 30 years. You can reach him at [email protected].
