Friday, December 05, 2003
MARINERS OFFER TEJADA 3-YEAR DEAL
Option for 4th year...read all about it
Well, we got some Miguel Tejada Mariner-related news...
The Seattle Times' Bob Finnigan is reporting that the Mariners have offered free agent shortstop Miguel Tejada a 3 year contract, worth somewhere between 24 and 25 million, with an option for a 4th year.
This is a start. I've usually been critical of the M's and their little three year contract b.s. But this may work out for the M's here.
With the way the market is, don't expect Tejada to get Alex Rodriguez-type money. The other teams that are reportedly interested in Tejada (Baltimore, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Detroit) haven't offered him a contract yet, but will probably do so in a few days.
However, Anaheim could use their money on unofficial Krispy Kreme spokesperson Bartolo Colon. The Angels are considering giving Colon 12 million a season. That's just ridiculous. And yes, there is a Krispy Kreme in the Anaheim area. It's in Orange.
As I've said time and time again, Seattle is the best desination for Tejada. The M's are one big-time hitter away from being a playoff team. You can't say that for the other teams in the Tejada sweepstakes. Detroit ain't getting Tejada either. Why would he want to play in Comerica Park for a horrible baseball team? As for Baltimore, there's no way in hell the Orioles are going to the playoffs anytime soon, not with the Yankees and Red Sox in the same division. The Dodgers are in the same situation too, with the Giants in the NL West.
The Mariners seemingly have developed a preference list in which Tejada is ahead of Matsui, ostensibly because Tejada is a known quantity. The former MVP can provide some of the power the Mariners sorely lacked in 2003.
While they know Matsui is faster and a better defender, talents which translate to good play on either side of the Pacific Rim, they expect that whatever deficiencies Tejada displays on defense he will more than make up for in emotion.
It's good to know that the M's are in total agreeance with me. Emotion is a great thing to have on a professional sports team. Tejada definitely brings that. It's not a bad type of emotion either. He hates to lose. The M's clubhouse definitely could use a player full of personality such as Tejada's.
Sing it with me...Matsui: "Shinjo, Infield style, striking out to a lot of boo boo boos!"
Jeff Cirillo is due for a deal or simple deletion from the roster, a move that will give chief executive officer Howard Lincoln $16 million worth of heartburn. Failing all else, Seattle could make a goal of signing San Francisco free agent Rich Aurilia for either short or third base.
While Aurilia, who made $5.25 million last season at the end of a multi-year deal, has missed time the past two years — averaging 522 at-bats to Guillen's 432 the past two seasons — he is recognized as one of the game's team-leader types. Aurilia averaged 21 home runs the past five years, including a career-high 37 in 2001.
"The Mariners called early on," said Barry Axelrod, Aurilia's agent. "They said they could get back to us, depending on whether XYZ fell into place for them."
Axelrod said Seattle may have been one of the four or five teams that asked if his client would be willing to move positions, meaning third base.
This is interesting as well. Rich Aurilia is a good ballplayer. He's a winner, just like Tejada. The M's love guys like Aurilia. But he has never played third base in his career.
Now, if Tejada doesn't sign with Seattle, then maybe I would consider Aurilia to be the everyday shortstop. But let's hope we don't have to worry about that.
So there you go. Finally, some Tejada Mariner-related news. It's just the start of things to come.
FIRE UP THE MIGGY HOT STOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, we got some Miguel Tejada Mariner-related news...
The Seattle Times' Bob Finnigan is reporting that the Mariners have offered free agent shortstop Miguel Tejada a 3 year contract, worth somewhere between 24 and 25 million, with an option for a 4th year.
This is a start. I've usually been critical of the M's and their little three year contract b.s. But this may work out for the M's here.
With the way the market is, don't expect Tejada to get Alex Rodriguez-type money. The other teams that are reportedly interested in Tejada (Baltimore, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Detroit) haven't offered him a contract yet, but will probably do so in a few days.
However, Anaheim could use their money on unofficial Krispy Kreme spokesperson Bartolo Colon. The Angels are considering giving Colon 12 million a season. That's just ridiculous. And yes, there is a Krispy Kreme in the Anaheim area. It's in Orange.
As I've said time and time again, Seattle is the best desination for Tejada. The M's are one big-time hitter away from being a playoff team. You can't say that for the other teams in the Tejada sweepstakes. Detroit ain't getting Tejada either. Why would he want to play in Comerica Park for a horrible baseball team? As for Baltimore, there's no way in hell the Orioles are going to the playoffs anytime soon, not with the Yankees and Red Sox in the same division. The Dodgers are in the same situation too, with the Giants in the NL West.
The Mariners seemingly have developed a preference list in which Tejada is ahead of Matsui, ostensibly because Tejada is a known quantity. The former MVP can provide some of the power the Mariners sorely lacked in 2003.
While they know Matsui is faster and a better defender, talents which translate to good play on either side of the Pacific Rim, they expect that whatever deficiencies Tejada displays on defense he will more than make up for in emotion.
It's good to know that the M's are in total agreeance with me. Emotion is a great thing to have on a professional sports team. Tejada definitely brings that. It's not a bad type of emotion either. He hates to lose. The M's clubhouse definitely could use a player full of personality such as Tejada's.
Sing it with me...Matsui: "Shinjo, Infield style, striking out to a lot of boo boo boos!"
Jeff Cirillo is due for a deal or simple deletion from the roster, a move that will give chief executive officer Howard Lincoln $16 million worth of heartburn. Failing all else, Seattle could make a goal of signing San Francisco free agent Rich Aurilia for either short or third base.
While Aurilia, who made $5.25 million last season at the end of a multi-year deal, has missed time the past two years — averaging 522 at-bats to Guillen's 432 the past two seasons — he is recognized as one of the game's team-leader types. Aurilia averaged 21 home runs the past five years, including a career-high 37 in 2001.
"The Mariners called early on," said Barry Axelrod, Aurilia's agent. "They said they could get back to us, depending on whether XYZ fell into place for them."
Axelrod said Seattle may have been one of the four or five teams that asked if his client would be willing to move positions, meaning third base.
This is interesting as well. Rich Aurilia is a good ballplayer. He's a winner, just like Tejada. The M's love guys like Aurilia. But he has never played third base in his career.
Now, if Tejada doesn't sign with Seattle, then maybe I would consider Aurilia to be the everyday shortstop. But let's hope we don't have to worry about that.
So there you go. Finally, some Tejada Mariner-related news. It's just the start of things to come.
FIRE UP THE MIGGY HOT STOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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