Baltimore Sun articles

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

---Thought y'all might find these articles in the Sun interesting. Besides some pretty good stories on Tejada, Rick Maese did an excellent article on Daniel Cabrera. Man, I wish the Cubs had him. Sorry, if my post is too long. I'm bored, I guess I don't have the patience that Hendry has.

 

"Now, the continued criticism may be Tejada's way of applying pressure for a trade out of Baltimore, where he signed a six-year, $72 million deal in December 2003. "It has not forced our hand any," said Orioles executive vice president Mike Flanagan. "We're still talking to teams. I can't say it's winding down, picking up. It's been about the same."

Besides agitating several Orioles officials, Tejada's public stance may be counterproductive. "I actually think in some ways, saying what he said publicly, it hurts our chances of trading him," Duquette said. "There is a perception in the marketplace that we now have to trade him and you'll take less than value for him. "One thing we have been clear about is that we are not trading him unless we get value. No matter what he thinks or says, we will not trade him until we get value."

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.orioles31dec31,1,3570256.story?coll=bal-sports-baseball

 

"In other words, no Mark Prior, a talented, young pitcher whose body is so fragile the Cubs are reportedly ready to unload him. In theory, he's everything the Orioles would want to anchor their rotation, but they have already exceeded their limit on deals that hinge on the recovery of sore-armed pitchers. (Luis Rivera, key to the B.J. Surhoff deal, never threw a pitch here. Kurt Ainsworth, key to the Sidney Ponson deal, didn't throw many.) There are never guarantees with young arms, but how about dealing for one that isn't already a problem spot"?

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.eisenberg31dec31,1,4264738.column?coll=bal-sports-baseball

 

Story on Cabrera...

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.maese01jan01,1,3671356.column?coll=bal-sports-baseball

[Soul]

Prior's arm is "sore" now? Since when?

[PieOnMyHands]

"In other words, no Mark Prior, a talented, young pitcher whose body is so fragile the Cubs are reportedly ready to unload him. In theory, he's everything the Orioles would want to anchor their rotation, but they have already exceeded their limit on deals that hinge on the recovery of sore-armed pitchers. (Luis Rivera, key to the B.J. Surhoff deal, never threw a pitch here. Kurt Ainsworth, key to the Sidney Ponson deal, didn't throw many.) There are never guarantees with young arms, but how about dealing for one that isn't already a problem spot"?

 

I'd say that is at least a reasonable concern, but here's why it's not comparable: the young pitchers mentioned didn't have a career ERAs of 3.24 in 2+ big league seasons when they were acquired.

 

I think Baltimore would be stupid not to accept a Tejada-for-Prior trade.

[abuck1220]

yeah, prior definitely = kurt ainsworth. and i'd have a hard time distinguishing prior's #s from luis rivera's.

[Magnetic Curses]

why is it that casual fans are continually hired to write for major newspapers?

[Magnetic Curses]

what's more is that on the score on saturday afternoon, i heard this guy (chris ronjay or something) talking about how the white sox have 6 starters and can trade for tejada while the cubs are pretty much out of the derby. don't get me wrong, i'm glad the cubs appear to be out of the race, but this guy was pretending like the sox could get tejada for "contreras and a prospect or two".

 

none of the callers mentioned that the reports indicated that the orioles had asked for zambrano.

 

are sox fans really that stupid that they'd equate contreras with zambrano? i wouldn't even equate contrares, a somewhat serviceable pitcher looking for a big payday at the tender age of "unknown", with matt clement.

[HoopsCubs]

what's more is that on the score on saturday afternoon, i heard this guy (chris ronjay or something) talking about how the white sox have 6 starters and can trade for tejada while the cubs are pretty much out of the derby. don't get me wrong, i'm glad the cubs appear to be out of the race, but this guy was pretending like the sox could get tejada for "contreras and a prospect or two".

 

none of the callers mentioned that the reports indicated that the orioles had asked for zambrano.

 

are sox fans really that stupid that they'd equate contreras with zambrano? i wouldn't even equate contrares, a somewhat serviceable pitcher looking for a big payday at the tender age of "unknown", with matt clement.

 

Actually, that's exactly the offer the Sox have made for Tejada: Contreras, Uribe and a prospect. Unless the Cubs include Zambrano or Prior, my opinion is that the Sox have a better shot of getting Tejada than the Cubs do.

 

As for Contreras, he's entering the last year of his 4 years $32M deal, and despite the fact that most think he's nearing 40, he is probably going to get at least a 2 year deal around $16M from somebody. One writer told me that he'd get Matt Morris' deal 3 years $25M from several teams. While I too feel Zambrano is a better pitcher, it's difficult for me to accept your characterization of him as "somewhat serviceable" when in the 2nd half he was basically the best pitcher in the AL, and carried the Sox to victory.

[SouthSideRyan]

I really can't see the Orioles being dumb enough to let the centerpiece of a Tejada trade be a guy with 1 year left on his contract.

[HoopsCubs]

I really can't see the Orioles being dumb enough to let the centerpiece of a Tejada trade be a guy with 1 year left on his contract.

 

You have to figure that Duquette would ask Kenny Williams and MLB permission to work out an extension for Contreras.

[RockTheIvy]

I really can't see the Orioles being dumb enough to let the centerpiece of a Tejada trade be a guy with 1 year left on his contract.

 

You have to figure that Duquette would ask Kenny Williams and MLB permission to work out an extension for Contreras.

 

Wasn't there also a trade involving Brandon McCarthy? If I were the Orioles I would much rather have him than Contreras.

[E.J.]

More "insider" information from the guys over at Orioles Hangout. It's a good read.

 

http://www.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28825

 

They say the Manny/Clement for Tejada trade has been agreed upon by both teams, but Manny is looking for a contract extension before he waives his NTC. I don't know how these guys get their information, but it seems like most of the people on the site believe the couple of guys on the site who say they have sources.

[Magnetic Curses]

what's more is that on the score on saturday afternoon, i heard this guy (chris ronjay or something) talking about how the white sox have 6 starters and can trade for tejada while the cubs are pretty much out of the derby. don't get me wrong, i'm glad the cubs appear to be out of the race, but this guy was pretending like the sox could get tejada for "contreras and a prospect or two".

 

none of the callers mentioned that the reports indicated that the orioles had asked for zambrano.

 

are sox fans really that stupid that they'd equate contreras with zambrano? i wouldn't even equate contrares, a somewhat serviceable pitcher looking for a big payday at the tender age of "unknown", with matt clement.

 

Actually, that's exactly the offer the Sox have made for Tejada: Contreras, Uribe and a prospect. Unless the Cubs include Zambrano or Prior, my opinion is that the Sox have a better shot of getting Tejada than the Cubs do.

 

As for Contreras, he's entering the last year of his 4 years $32M deal, and despite the fact that most think he's nearing 40, he is probably going to get at least a 2 year deal around $16M from somebody. One writer told me that he'd get Matt Morris' deal 3 years $25M from several teams. While I too feel Zambrano is a better pitcher, it's difficult for me to accept your characterization of him as "somewhat serviceable" when in the 2nd half he was basically the best pitcher in the AL, and carried the Sox to victory.

 

he had a great second half, no doubt, but to put him in the league of a zambrano, who's at least 10 years younger and had a noticeably superior second half--or a mark prior, who's never really had a poor season-and is at least 10 years younger as well, is almost unconscionable.

 

furthermore, to throw juan uribe, a player whom only edward k. (or a sox fan) could love, and a prospect (probably not johnson or mccarthy--most likely borchardt) and call it superior to the MINIMUM that the cubs could come up with is insulting.

 

i hope hendry never even thought about it, because if he did, we could be in big trouble.

[rawaction]

I personally would rather have Jerome Williams than Jose Contreras. Yeah, he was great in the 2nd half of the season, and I do think there's more in the tank, but Williams put up better numbers in 03 for the Giants, and is 10 years younger (at least) and gonna be cheap for the next 3 years.

[snoodmonger]

I personally would rather have Jerome Williams than Jose Contreras. Yeah, he was great in the 2nd half of the season, and I do think there's more in the tank, but Williams put up better numbers in 03 for the Giants, and is 10 years younger (at least) and gonna be cheap for the next 3 years.

 

Especially if you're the Os. If I need to win now, I'd take Contreras over Jerome, but in a rebuilding situation, Contreras makes no sense unless you intend to flip him.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

I don't want Tejada. Enough of that soap opera. If either of the Sox get him, bully for them. They're AL teams anyway, who gives a rat's behind.

 

Let's talk about Jose Vidro. He's available. His OPS numbers every year he's been a regular but last year (injury) are comparable to Tejada's. And he bats LH. I'd like to get him, let Cedeno and Neifi platoon at SS (since that's our best case scenario with Dusty and Neifi), and call it an offseason.

 

Vidro is due $24MM over the next three years; if he's healthy, he's worth $8MM. Since there are questions about his health, maybe Bowden spins him off and eats a bit of cash.

 

What is a fair package in exchange, here? Patterson, Novoa for Vidro and $5MM cash spread over the three years? Maybe a mid-level Cub prospect like Casey McGahee or Adam Greenberg to complete the deal?