Cubs after Tejada?

[Providence A's]

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/be...iles&id=130468

DALLAS — The Cubs losing out on shortstop Rafael Furcal could turn out to be the biggest blessing in disguise for general manager Jim Hendry.

That’s because there might be another, better, shortstop on the market. His name is Miguel Tejada.

If the reports out of the Dominican Republic and Baltimore are to be believed, Tejada is fed up with the seemingly directionless Baltimore Orioles and wants out after only two years there.

Knowing that Tejada is a winning ballplayer with impeccable character, it’s not hard to believe that he is fed up.

If Tejada indeed does demand a trade, look for the Cubs to be first in line and look for them to have a very good shot at landing Tejada.

Hendry was willing to go as high as $57.5 million and up to six years for Furcal.

Tejada left the Oakland Athletics after 2003 to sign a six-year, $72 million contract with the Orioles. So the money isn’t a problem, and the betting here is that the Cubs could get the O’s to pony up some of the dough.

From the Orioles’ standpoint, they’re going to want nothing to do with dealing Tejada to their friends in the American League East: the Yankees or the Red Sox. They’ll probably want to get him out of the AL altogether.

Furcal left the Atlanta Braves to go to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Braves wasted no time replacing him, getting Edgar Renteria from the Red Sox at the just-concluded winter meetings.

So Tejada and the Cubs seem a perfect match.

Of course, the Orioles are going to want something good in return for Tejada. The Cubs still have young pitching to deal, and to have this once-in-a-lifetime shot to get a player the caliber of Tejada, Hendry also might be willing to part with some of the emerging position-player talent in the Cubs’ minor-league system.

That minor-league system was stocked, so to speak, by John Stockstill, who just left as the Cubs’ scouting director to take an assistant GM job with the Orioles.

Here’s another reason this whole Furcal thing might be a blessing: Tejada is a better player.

Let’s look at their numbers. In 154 games this year, Furcal batted .284 with 12 home runs, 58 RBI and an on-base percentage of .348. He made only 15 errors.

Tejada played in all 162 games for the Orioles, batting .304 with 26 homers, 98 RBI and a .349 OBP. He committed 22 errors.

Tejada is also a leader who would have an immediate positive impact in the Cubs’ clubhouse, a clubhouse that also will benefit from the addition of center fielder Juan Pierre, whom Hendry pried from the Florida Marlins.

Going third to first across the diamond, the Cubs would have Aramis Ramirez at third base, Tejada at shortstop, a combination of Ronny Cedeno and Neifi Perez at second base and Derrek Lee at first.

That’s pretty good both offensively and defensively.

A trade for Tejada, if indeed he’s serious about wanting out, will take some time to develop. Hendry has proven to be a pretty shrewd and creative wheeler-dealer in his tenure as Cubs GM. Just a few days ago, Hendry was in a funk over losing Furcal to the Dodgers.

Sometime before or after Christmas, he could be counting his blessings, both the easy-to-see kind and the blessings in disguise.

The Cubs would have the pitching to offer the O's I think. I think it'd be a good move for the Cubs.

[rockin500]

as long as they arent asking for d. lee, aramis, Prior or Zambrano, send them 2 top prospects, throw in corey, and one middling prospect.

Kaplan on WGN radio last night said that peeps close to Miggy said he would like to come here to chicago. And he should. He would be the toast of chicago. He'd own the town.

[Providence A's]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/cst-spt-cubs11.html

The Cubs contacted Baltimore Orioles officials Saturday to throw their hat into the ring for disgruntled shortstop Miguel Tejada, who recently asked to be traded.

A major-league source said the Cubs and Orioles didn't discuss specific players. The Cubs strictly let it be known that if the Orioles decide to explore trade possibilities for Tejada, then they would have a strong interest in trying to work out a deal.

Problem is, Orioles vice president Jim Duquette has said that any team interested in acquiring Tejada would have to offer someone of equal value. The Boston Red Sox, for instance, reportedly have offered outfielder Manny Ramirez for Tejada.

While that's being treated seriously, can anyone imagine the Orioles helping out the American League East rival Red Sox by sending them Tejada and accepting the $60 million burden for the three years left on Ramirez's contract?

But what player or players of equal value to Tejada could the Cubs offer? General manager Jim Hendry said at the winter meetings last week that he has no intention of trading pitchers Carlos Zambrano or Mark Prior. Pitcher Kerry Wood has a complete no-trade clause for 2006.

The Orioles need pitching, but if Zambrano, Prior and Wood won't be used as bargaining chips, it seems equally far-fetched to believe the Orioles would be satisfied if the Cubs decided to offer young shortstop Ronny Cedeno to replace Tejada and a pitching package that might include Rich Hill and Jerome Williams.

First baseman Derrek Lee and third baseman Aramis Ramirez are the Cubs' mainstays among the position players. It's hard to envision them being involved in any trade talks. They are the foundation of the Cubs' offense.

Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora spoke with Tejada on Friday. Mora told the Washington Post that Tejada didn't want to be traded if he could be persuaded that the Orioles were making enough of a financial commitment to improve the team. Tejada apparently was miffed to see the Toronto Blue Jays spend a combined $102 million to sign free-agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan.

"He saw the Blue Jays getting big names and saw all the teams spending money, and we didn't do anything,'' Mora said. "He feels he wants to give more to Baltimore. He doesn't want to be traded.''

One reason the Cubs didn't get into specific player names is that they are giving Orioles officials time to determine whether Tejada truly can't stand it any longer and must be moved.

The Orioles reportedly were baffled that Tejada would voice his complaints after they recently had signed catcher Ramon Hernandez, who played with Tejada on the Oakland Athletics. Tejada, who was voted the American League most valuable player in 2002, is the godfather to one of Hernandez's children.

"I think that's not good enough for him,'' Mora said.

The Cubs spent last winter trying to get teams to take outfielder Sammy Sosa off their hands. The Orioles finally took him Feb. 2 for three players, including infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., and lived to regret it.

The Cubs would be willing to help the Orioles out of their own personal mess with Tejada, but what would be the cost?

Throwing a bunch of names at a wall and seeing what sticks seems unlikely to accomplish it.

[love_that_reefer]

The Cubs should offer Wood and Walker. Wood was paid 9.5 mil last year and hasn't been healthy since I can remember but you need to remember that I am a pothead. O's could use Walker as Roberts might not be ready for the season.

[rockin500]

The Cubs should offer Wood and Walker. Wood was paid 9.5 mil last year and hasn't been healthy since I can remember but you need to remember that I am a pothead. O's could use Walker as Roberts might not be ready for the season.

wood has a NTC.

[Providence A's]

I wouldn't touch Wood if I were the O's anyway. It seems the O's are going to try and convince Miggy to calm down (they don't have to trade him anyway). But if I were the O's and traded him, I'd try to get a solid MLB player and top prospects for him (he's one of the best SS in the game).

[awefullspellare]

I hope we could swing a trade for him, would be a huge move... For once, I wouldn't be too upset giving up some nice specs.