Reporting in

[LADANK]

To me the worse thing that the Orioles did. Was to do nothing cause we are still quagmired in a state of no specific direction

[Sports Guy]

It always cracks me up when the old "the O's don't NEED to trade him" rationale come out in these Tejada discussions.

Nor do they NEED to finish above .500. And recent history indicates they won't, either, until some major roster changes are made.

JMHO, but there's no realistic way to achieve major roster changes without making a Tejada trade the centerpiece.

Well said Dave.

[Sports Guy]

I don't think we can trade Tejada for prospects until the end of the offseason. I can't imagine how we are going to lure a high priced FA here when our "confederate" money hasn't been good enough the last 3 years.

If we trade Miggy for a #1 or #2 starter that would be great. We still would be faced with more of the same until these prospects emerge, which hopefully they will. We then would still be lacking the power we have been looking for since 1998.

You have to get some help in here first before you trade away your franchise player. Unless you are just throwing the towel in and rebuilding

The MASN deal, by the way, is close. You can go to their website and read about how this will be going to arbitration possibly sometime before next season. You can also check out Ray Frager's recent blog entry or go to the Washington Post. The story was there about 4 days ago.

This doesn't make sense to me.

If you trade Tejada, you are better off doing it now than in the offseason because impending FA can see what we are trying to do and they can evaluate the talent (you acquired) on the field.

If you do it in December, why would any FA sign here?

Either way, i think it unlikely we sign any of the big time FA so Tejada should have been dealt either way.

[erb8472]

JMHO, but there's no realistic way to achieve major roster changes without making a Tejada trade the centerpiece.

This is 100% correct. The only other way is to spend money, but you said realistic.

So you pretty much covered everything.

[Miller192]

I'm not saying we shouldn't trade Tejada, he could bring us a lot of value in return. The point I'm trying to make is that I would like to see us bring in an Alfonso Soriano or a Carlos Lee before we do that. We have had a lot of trouble getting this type of player in here. Getting a number #1 or 2# starter will do us no good if half of his infield is rookies.

If we are going to rebuild with minor league plus talent, that's fine. It could take us 1-2 more years before we see .500

[Sports Guy]

Depends what you consider major roster changes. If the O's were to do every move you suggested in the other thread, exclusive of the Tejada move, that would still be major roster changes. I saw lots of good ideas in that thread that had Tejada still an Oriole. I advocated the Angels trade but there is more than one way to skin a cat.

Yea but in that thread, many of us were signing a big bat and a top pticher..Is that realistic? Is it realistic to think the Orioles would actually platoon?

That is the problem.

The reality is, we are likely to be very similar to what we are this year and complain about players getting more than we thought they would and that teams were asking for too much in trades.

[mcgraw238]

Well maybe you weren't here the last 3 weeks when all we talked about was trades with the Angels. That was made when we could actually make trades with them.

We are still talking about this after the fact. If you don't think that is a little obsessive, then I guess its all on you.

The fact I wrote "not to be rude" is because this is a message board and sometimes people can read something and take it out of context and then spin if off the wrong way, which you did anyways.

If you have anything else to say to me, do it off this thread.

I have been here the last three weeks and I have seen all the Angels thread. Since you were as well, you would know that I was not a contributor to those 14-15 page rants. I have not been a part of the mob wanting to scorch the front office.

Again, I asked Bigbird an question and you decided to come along and critique its merits. Feel free to put me on ignore if you wish. Next time I want a response from you, I'll direct me question to you.

Nothing taked out of context as you implied. It speaks for itself.

If you have anything else to say to me, do it off this thread.

[FutureOwner]

I think you are a giving Tejada a little too much credit. He's a great player, and obviously the best SS in baseball. However, I would not call him a top 5 player in all of baseball, nor would I compare him to a trade return value of Pujols.

Also less than a year ago he was scratching to get out the door, and when he realized he wasn't going to join Ortiz in Boston he's decided to come off those demands.

Tejada is by7 far the best player at one of the most important positions. Hard to name 5 position players you would trade straight up for him.

The O's need more guys LIKE tejada, not less.

[erb8472]

Is it realistic to expect the O's to trade Tejada? I'll go on record right now and say there is more chance of at least one major FA signing than a trade of Tejada.

I'm not sure that's a record I'd sign up for considering it's quite possible both happen.

[erb8472]

Tejada is by7 far the best player at one of the most important positions. Hard to name 5 position players you would trade straight up for him.

The O's need more guys LIKE tejada, not less.

Pujols, Ortiz, Arod, Wright, Tex.

Thats five.

I know what you are saying, but Tejada is the best SS in baseball. He's not a top 5 player in the game though.

[Hank Scorpio]

Pujols, Ortiz, Arod, Wright, Tex.

Thats five.

I know what you are saying, but Tejada is the best SS in baseball. He's not a top 5 player in the game though.

Ortiz isn't a position player...

[FutureOwner]

It always cracks me up when the old "the O's don't NEED to trade him" rationale come out in these Tejada discussions.

Nor do they NEED to finish above .500. And recent history indicates they won't, either, until some major roster changes are made.

JMHO, but there's no realistic way to achieve major roster changes without making a Tejada trade the centerpiece.

Maybe they need to ADD to their roster, not subtract.

My statement of not NEEDING to trade Tejada was meant to imply that the other teams approached this as if we were shopping Tejada trying to get whatever we could for him and this was not the case. If you think the middle of this season, under a deadline dealing with 2 or 3 teams is the best time to make one of the most important decisions this team will make than we have a difference of opinion.

So you think we should jump at the opportuity to trade our best player, the best player this organization has had in 10 years for whatever we were offered?

If the Angels were gonna be sucked inot filling the needs we wanted, than I could see pulling the trigger, if not, then wait to see what happens in the offseason. We know we arent making the playoffs this season, theres no rush for us. They still have hope of winning their weak division, and needed to decide how much that meant to them, apparently it didnt mean KOTCHMAN, WOOD, SANTANA and AYBAR. Id say they had more at stake than we did. Is their goal to spend close to $100M and pimp the team to their fans as a WS contender so they can finish 2nd or 3rd in the worst divison in the AL?

Tejada DOES NOT NEED to be traded. If the team will be better with what someone might give us then you make the trade, if not, then you dont, but there is no pressure on the Orioles to trade Tejada.

[Sports Guy]

Is it realistic to expect the O's to trade Tejada? I'll go on record right now and say there is more chance of at least one major FA signing than a trade of Tejada.

Good question...They have certainly tried.

I think it more likely we are status quo next year than anything.

[FutureOwner]

Ortiz isn't a position player...

No, he's not, and he's not a better player either. You will be hard pressed to make upi Tejadas production on a team by replacing him with another player at a traditonal power position such as LF or 1B, while replacing him at SS.

For instance:

Tejada/Gibbons>

Ortiz/Gonzales

Pujols/Eckstein

etc

[ledzepp8]

I think it's very stupid to have such specific demands like that. Guys like Oswalt and Santana should change those demands. You really can't expect 3 more good players with either of them.

You'd probably be right if it was the O's that were shopping Tejada. But from the stuff we've heard it sounds like the O's weren't trying to trade Tejada and were just listening to offers. They said give us 2 provens and 2 prospects, blow us away and we'll give him to you. Otherwise keep shopping because we don't have to trade Tejada at all.