By Times Staff and Wire Reports
Published December 15, 2003
NEW ORLEANS - The Orioles went into the offseason with some of the biggest plans, and Sunday night they made the biggest splash, signing shortstop Miguel Tejada to a six-year, $72-million contract.
Determined to improve after six consecutive fourth-place finishes, the Orioles are not going to stop with adding the former AL MVP. They also have interest in top-notch outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and catchers Ivan Rodriguez and Javy Lopez.
"This is the first part of what we're trying to accomplish this offseason, with getting bats in the middle of the lineup," Orioles vice president Jim Beattie said.
"We have other players that are big players that we want to add to the club. This is a signal, one of the things we can do to show players that the Orioles are ready to contend, hopefully quickly."
The deal with Tejada, who also was being pursued by Seattle and Detroit, was a strong first step.
"Miguel continues the tradition of great Orioles shortstops," Orioles vice president Mike Flanagan said. "The cornerstone of the Orioles through the years has been our shortstops, and he certainly fits in that mold."
Tejada, 27, emerged from the shadow of fellow AL shortstops Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Jeter in 2002 by earning AL MVP honors, hitting .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs to help the A's win 103 games and the AL West. Last season he fell off slightly to a .278 average with 27 homers and 106 RBIs.
"I know I'm going to play on the same field where Cal Ripken played and be in the same locker room where Cal Ripken was," Tejada said. "I love the city and the stadium."
Tejada is a .270 hitter in seven major-league seasons, with 156 homers, 604 RBIs, a .460 slugging percentage and a .331 on-base percentage. He has appeared in 162 games each of the past three seasons, driven in more than 100 runs in four straight and topped 20 homers in five straight.
"How many chances do you get to add an MVP-caliber player to your club who wants to be there for a long time?" new Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said.
Baltimore saw him as a key to improving its lot in the AL East.
Boston and New York have made major moves this offseason, and the Blue Jays appear to have significantly upgraded their pitching.
"You can't play dumb to the surroundings of what's going on around you," Mazzilli said. "But we have to think about our team."
Tejada must pass a physical for the contract to be official.
His signing continues the migration of talent to the AL East. Boston added Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke (and still could get Alex Rodriguez), the Yankees are adding Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez, Kenny Lofton and Gary Sheffield (whose three-year, $39-million deal should be announced soon), Toronto acquired Miguel Batista and the Devil Rays have a deal with Jose Cruz.
RUMOR MILL: Ex-Ray Roberto Hernandez is considering an offer to join the Phillies bullpen. ... The A's are close to signing former Mariners reliever Arthur Rhodes. ... Jeff Suppan is talking to St. Louis, Texas and Detroit, which also has interest in Kenny Rogers.
BY THE RULES: Today is the annual Rule 5 draft, in which teams can select from players not on 40-man rosters but have to keep them in the majors next season or offer them back. The Rays have the third pick, but GM Chuck LaMar said they hadn't decided if they would be active. Current Rays Damian Rolls and Jorge Sosa were Rule 5 picks. ... Mike Moore was re-elected to a fourth four-year term as president of St. Petersburg-based Minor League Baseball.
YANKS RETAIN CASHMAN: Brian Cashman got a promise of more job security.
Owner George Steinbrenner decided to exercise the general manager's 2005 option, Steinbrenner spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.
"He hasn't done it yet, but he will," Rubenstein said. "Brian has contributed a great deal to the Yankees organization. He (Steinbrenner) relies on his judgment quite a bit. He's been an important member of the Yankees team. To put aside any of the false rumors, he's going to exercise the option."
MARINERS: Infielder Carlos Guillen agreed to a $2.5-million, one-year contract that includes $900,000 in performance bonuses.
RED SOX: David Ortiz has a warning for the Yankees and the rest of the AL: Beware Boston.
The designated hitter said Schilling and Foulke should make the team the favorite for the AL crown. Schilling joins Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe and Tim Wakefield to form one of the majors' top rotations.
"This team should win," Ortiz said in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the winter league all-star game. "Pedro, Curt, Lowe and Wakefield. That's scary."
ROYALS: Infielder Tony Graffanino, a former Devil Ray, signed a two-year contract.
TIGERS: Outfielder Rondell White agreed to a $6-million, two-year contract.
RAINES TO MANAGE: The Expos hired seven-time All-Star outfielder Tim Raines to manage their Brevard County farm team in the Class A Florida State League. Raines, one of the greatest leadoff hitters of his era, retired after the 2002 season with 2,605 hits, a .385 on-base percentage and 808 steals, fifth all-time.
WRITER HONORED: The New York Times' Murray Chass won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award and will be inducted into the writers' wing of the baseball Hall of Fame this summer. Chass is recovering from brain surgery and a heart attack but expects to return to work next season.
WINTER LEAGUE: The Mets' Raul Gonzalez homered twice and had six RBIs to lead host Puerto Rico to a 14-7 victory over the Dominican Republic in the teams' first winter league all-star game.
