As a question, as this is probably where the thread is going to go anyway, what is the consensus on Tejada's defence? Is it better than Jeter at SS? Also, of the two, which is likely to be the better 3B?

The Yanks would finally have a HOF shortstop.

Were Jeter to be moved to 3B, you would be putting his life in jeopardy.

Whose, Tejada's?

Oh, third basemen never have to go to their left. Jeter could do that job easily.

No, Jeter's. He is consistently the last player on the field to react to a batted ball.

Oh, third basemen never have to go to their left. Jeter could do that job easily.

Either you're being sarcastic or you've got your left and right mixed up.

Is this all Jeter's plan to make himself "best shortstop of his generation" by default? How long until he gets Nomar to move off SS?

How long until he gets Nomar to move off SS?

Several years ago.

Um --

Okay, so I haven't been paying that much attention. Get off my back!

Either you're being sarcastic or you've got your left and right mixed up.

Often it's the latter, but this time it's the former.

"I don't want to make it seem it was Moore's fault. This kid was hungry to play," Mora said. "But I've been busting my butt for seven years in the organization. I'm a two-time All-Star, I've won a Silver Slugger [award]. I don't deserve that. If I have to take that crap, I'd rather go somewhere else."

So sick of Mora's ######## and whining. Please go somewhere else already.

"I don't want to play those games," he said. "I'm one of the best third basemen in the American League and in baseball. If you are going to move me, you have to make the team more competitive."

This reminds of the early rounds of American Idol when somebody sings their ass off but is AWFUL. Simon then asks, "Do you think you're any good," and the singer responds, "I know I'm good." Melvin is the Sanjaya of baseball.

Well, Tejada needs to play third, so Jeter would dodge another bullet. I think Miggy would be a good third baseman, though probably not as good as A-Rod. So the defense would take a small step down.

Offensively, some power, lots of strikeouts, not a lot of walks...the anti-'classic Torre-Cashman Yankee.' His runs created have decreased three seasons in a row, but he's still a good player.

But a world class preening sulker! He'd play well in NY until some of the media guys decided he was full of ####. They still haven't figured it out in Baltimore, or if they have, they aren't writing it. No such holdbacks in the Apple, though. Could be bad news there.

It'd be interesting to see. Most Baltimore fans would, I imagine, be happy with a deal that landed two of the Yankee kids just outside their so-called 'untouchable three' and another one a little lower on the board...though most of us wopuld prefer to see a couple of position players, cause the O's have none of those coming up anytime soon.

tejada has some "steroid smoke" attached to his character. let's see how the mitchell report comes out.

I could see the O’s being interested in Farnsworth, just to plug him into the closer’s role on the last year of his deal. He’d be motivated to nab another big money contract, and they’d have absolutely no commitment whatsoever… this is the kind of deal Executives love because it can be rationalized without much effort:

“ Of course… we make Farnsworth the closer, Gardner could be lighting a spark for us by 2009, at the latest, and this Horne kid is ready to slot into the rotation today! Plus, we can deal Farnsworth at the deadline for even more prospects if [wink, wink] we’ve somehow fallen out of contention! Call that prick Angelos, we have a deal to sell!”

All the while, are they receiving max value in such a deal? Eh… what do you guys think? Tejada is still a very technically sound hitter, hand/eye, approach, all that jazz. He could really be rejuvenated by New York. I could actually see this happening, though interdivision trades of such magnitude rarely occur… unless you count the epic Chris Britton for Jaret Wright midnight massacre of ’06.

Newsday: Davidoff - Lowell likely to stay in Boston, Yankees look to deal

Lowell likely will sign a deal that guarantees him three years. "I personally believe the player's preference would be to stay in Boston," Cashman said. "I believe that's probably accurate."
...
Baltimore would trade shortstop Miguel Tejada, who could switch to third base. Yet Tejada, at a new position, wouldn't match the Yankees' "pitching and defense" mantra.

St. Louis' Scott Rolen, an accomplished glove man, would better fit that philosophy, activated in the wake of Rodriguez's departure. But Rolen is neither as durable nor as offensively productive as Tejada, and he has three years left on his contract compared with Tejada's two.

The Orioles would command a price in talent for Tejada, however, whereas Rolen would essentially be a money dump for the Cards, whose manager Tony La Russa doesn't get along with Rolen. St. Louis owes Rolen $12 million for each of the next three seasons.

The Phils should probably inquire about this if he is willing to move to 3rd. Of course, I don't know if the Phillies have the prospects any more.

The Orioles would command a price in talent for Tejada, however, whereas Rolen would essentially be a money dump for the Cards, whose manager Tony La Russa doesn't get along with Rolen. St. Louis owes Rolen $12 million for each of the next three seasons.

Seriously, neither Larry Bowa nor tony La Russa like Scott Rolen. I'm going to conclude that Scott Rolen is a woman.

could see the O’s being interested in Farnsworth, just to plug him into the closer’s role on the last year of his deal.

Nice try.

Call me crazy but Rolen for mostly salary relief seems like a great risk. Maybe Eric Duncan for Rolen plus $6 million. Cards save $10 million a year. Don't know how much talent they'd ACTUALLY want for Rolen, but if this article is accurate, they care more about the bucks.

Putting aside PEDs worries and any clubhouse issues, I'm trying to figure out why Tejada at 2 yrs $26mm is worse than Lowell at 3/4 years and a similar $13mm a year? If Tejada won't cost much to acquire (and who knows what he'll really cost), I think I'd rather have him + my 1st round pick than Lowell - or at least, it is somewhat close.

What would one project for Tejada in 2008? About a 115 OPS+? How about Lowell? A 118 OPS+? I don't see why Lowell gets a big lead in defense (or even any lead, but I'll assume he gets a small lead).

I don't know enough about either the PED concerns or clubhouse issues (I read what is in the papers, but presumably there is a lot more info available for people in the game), so I don't know how much to value that. But, Tejada at 2/26 vs. Lowell at 4/52 seems an easy answer, and if Lowell is 3/40 (or there abouts) I'm not sure why Lowell is the obviously better deal when you consider the draft picks (though, again, ignoring the clubhouse).

Why do you assume that Tejada won't cost much to acquire? None of the linked reports suggest that the Orioles are looking to give him away. Your analysis points out correctly that he should be a pretty good deal for whatever team acquires him.

A couple Yankee fans predicted they could get him for Farnsworth, but that's of course stupid, and was offered as a joke. It'll cost significant talent. No A prospects, but a package headlined by a B+/A- prospect at least. Kennedy would be perfect, all else being equal, but as was point out in one of the many, many ARod/Cabrera threads, the Yankees are kind of stuck because they're counting on 150 IP from Kennedy next year, and they'd have to replace that, making Kennedy much more valuable to the Yankees than to other clubs who might trade for him. The Orioles might take a Tabata+ package, so I guess that would be the most likely place to start.

EDIT: had more to say, it seems

I suppose by "not much to acquire" I really only mean less than whatever the value of the draft picks one expects from Lowell. I don't fall for the joke that Farnsworth would do it - but if something like a 3 stars, whatever that means, prospect per Goldstein (+ X major leaguer) could get it done, then I'd bet that two picks + Tejada > Lowell + prospect in 2008 and 2009 (caveats still apply re clubhouse, of course), with less risk in 2010 & 2011 (and the potential for draft picks from Tejada when he becomes a FA at the same age as Lowell).

Much than that changes the calculation, of course.

I don't know what the Orioles are asking for - I assume they aren't giving him away, but I also assume they aren't looking to get Kemp for him, either. With Rodriguez, Lowell, and Cabrerra all out there, I get the feeling that Tejada is the best value of the 4, though admittedly there are no published reports to prove that for me.

(Edit - to be clear, the question is if the cost in prospects is < the potential value in draft picks - the risk in long term Lowell investment.)

(Edit2 - note that for the Red Sox, b/c of the supp pick the potential value in draft picks is > than for other teams, who only will lose one pick.)

Maybe I'm misreading your here, but I think you're overrating supplemental picks pretty heavily. The Red Sox got extremely lucky / drafted extremely well in 2005. The chance of getting a good player out of the supp rounds is in the single digits. (See Philly's draft studies). I'd rather have Jed Lowrie than draft picks, and by quite a large margin - and I'd guess that the O's would want more than Lowrie.

A couple Yankee fans predicted they could get him for Farnsworth, but that's of course stupid, and was offered as a joke.

And six hours later, the Tejada for Farnsworth rumor is sweeping the intra-webs!

I think the Orioles would be happy to take Farnsworth to even out the salaries, but not as a replacement for talent.

If anything, adding a salary dump to the deal means you need to add more talent.

As a question, as this is probably where the thread is going to go anyway, what is the consensus on Tejada's defence? Is it better than Jeter at SS?

He's not in a wheelchair, is he? So the question answers itself.

I've read Philly's studies, but you have to include the first rounder (#15-30), too. (If you thought Lowell would go to a team with a protected pick then the calculus changes again). I think the calculus is:



I was thinking closer to Bowden than Lowrie (the former being a 3* in Goldstein's rankings, the latter being 4*s). Though, again, I don't know what the "prospects for Tejada" side of the equation equals, so if you (which you seem to clearly do) think that equals a lot, then you've already solved the equation. But, I'm more interested in setting up the equation than solving it.

The reference to the Red Sox valuation differing is meant to capture the relevant calculus for a hypothetical other team in weighing a Lowell or Tejada acquisition:



For other teams, the answer is very different. The prospects are likely worth more than the first round pick, though not necessary enough to cover the risk in the extra year or two of Lowell under contract. The Red Sox have the additional supp pick to consider, which, while not worth a ton (as you rightly point out), is worth a good deal nonetheless.

(Philly's studies are great for looking to future ML value, but (e.g.) Bowden has trade value now though not being very likely to have a career that differs in ML value from those in Philly's study. Thus, Supp picks have more value than simply their expected WARP.)

(I'm using Goldstein's *s not b/c they are right, but b/c I don't want to get into a debate over what prospect is worth what. Substitute your own ranking for those *s.)

Hmm. If the Dodgers try to get him, presumably they'd use a package including Andy LaRoche (since Tejada would be blocking LaRoche). LaRoche has the back issue (although reports are it shouldn't be serious) but he was considered by many analysts to be the second best third base prospect in the minors going into last season.

I'm interested in the equation, too, but I think it's absolutely necessary to define the terms. I mean, I could plug in numbers to that equation that would make anything a good idea.

My point here is a variation on a point that I have already made a couple thousand times this offseason: Tejada for nothing is a pony plan. Tejada is worth something - quite a lot, as you have pointed out several times. As such, suggesting that a trade for him in which the acquiring team gives up nothing they particularly value is like wishing for a pony - no harm in it, but not exactly worthy of discussion.

If there are actual published reports of possible pony trades, then I'm interested. As of now, what appears to have happened is that people read Tyler Kepner's vague, muddled speculation, and took it as an actual rumor:

MacPhail said the Orioles want to rebuild their talent base in all areas, suggesting they would want multiple players in any deal. They need pitching and have an obvious hole in center field, where Melky Cabrera would fit.

The Orioles also need a closer because of injuries to Chris Ray and Danys Báez and are interested in Kyle Farnsworth, who was developed by the Chicago Cubs when MacPhail and Manager Dave Trembley worked there.

Kepner cites no sources, appears to be making stuff up (with Cabrera), and isn't even clear as to whether Farnsworth would be the centerpiece of or a salary dump in the trade that he made up in his head.

The Orioles also need a closer because of injuries to Chris Ray and Danys Báez and are interested in Kyle Farnsworth,

Normally there would be a joke about "one of these is not like the others", but there is no "unlike the others" among the three.

Well, Dany Baez is Hispanic, and that's probably it.

neither Larry Bowa nor tony La Russa like Scott Rolen. I'm going to conclude that Scott Rolen is a woman.

LaRussa and Bowa don't like women?

(Wait for it . . . .)







Anybody have LaRussa's phone number?

Well, if we have entered the silly stage of Tejeda talks -- the Cubs have someone with 33/24/28 saves the last 3 years that they'd be willing to give for Tejeda... or are ridiculous, nonsense deals only valid when the Yankees are involved?

I could see the O’s being interested in Farnsworth, just to plug him into the closer’s role on the last year of his deal. He’d be motivated to nab another big money contract, and they’d have absolutely no commitment whatsoever…

Too funny. My take on tejada: He's a better SS than most think. He isn't great, but probably average. I also think he could be a great pickup for some team. NOt that he'll be cheap, but he'd certainly cost a lot less in talent than Cabrera, he's signed to a very reasonable deal, and I think he could really bounce back with a contending team. He seemed pretty bored out there at times, and would probably thrive on a contender.

I don't care about the division thing. Trade him to whoever offers the best package in return. Laroche and Hu? Pie, Cedeno, and Marshall? That said, I don't know if a trade with the yankees would work since they obviously aren't trading Hughes or Joba for Tejada...I assume the same is true re Melky. Maybe Jackson, Kennedy, and a B prospect?

edit: Sure, and Farnsworth as a salary dump. Why not?

The Orioles also need a closer because of injuries to Chris Ray and Danys Báez

I think the writer forgot a comma between "Ray" and "and."

I think it's absolutely necessary to define the terms

I don't - I'd just be accused by 1/2 the folks of asking for free ponies, and the other 1/2 for undervaluing young talent. :D

Set up the equation and it should solve for itself.

Set up the equation and it should solve for itself.

Well, that's always true. I guess I could make a stronger version of my point.

Equation: is Lowell - first round pick > Tejada - prospects?

For all values of "prospects" where the above is untrue, the trade in question is a pony plan.

Hu is the Asian Tejada

Equation: is Lowell - first round pick > Tejada - prospects?

For all values of "prospects" where the above is untrue, the trade in question is a pony plan.

Here is where I think you are just worshiping at the alter of snark. If not, trades wouldn't take place.

Here is where I think you are just worshiping at the alter of snark.

BBTF doens't worship at the altar of snark. We run the motherF!@#ing joint.

Rolen is neither as durable nor as offensively productive as Tejada

Now there is an understatement.

Maybe I'm misreading your here, but I think you're overrating supplemental picks pretty heavily. The Red Sox got extremely lucky / drafted extremely well in 2005. The chance of getting a good player out of the supp rounds is in the single digits. (See Philly's draft studies).

I'm not sure the conclusion is wrong, but Philly's study doesn't really address that. (It's a limitation he himself acknowledges, when he points out that Valentin and Timlin end up grouped together.) What his study looks at is the chance of getting a player with a good career, not a "good player." While the ideal might be to draft Jeter and keep him his whole career, you're much more likely to draft Tejada and lose him to free agency. After that, you don't care what happens to him.

Anybody have LaRussa's phone number?

If you have wine with dinner, I suggest you drive.

As a question, as this is probably where the thread is going to go anyway, what is the consensus on Tejada's defence? Is it better than Jeter at SS? Also, of the two, which is likely to be the better 3B?

ZR the last three years:

Tejada: .819, .824, .843

Jeter: .830, .810, .765

So Tejada and Jeter were comparable until this year, both are excellent pop up catchers and Tejada has the stronger arm. Tejada is the better fielder right now, I think even if Jeter comes back completely healthy. Tejada would also make a better third baseman though, given his arm and it probably benefits the Yankees as a team more to have Tejada at third and Jeter at short, much like it did with A-rod.

Also, this would be an awesome move by the Yanks if it doesn't cost too much.

if it doesn't cost too much.

What's a reasonable price in your opinion?

Will Andy MacPhail be the one negotiating or will it be the owner? I can see MacPhail giving up Tejada for a more reasonable haul then the owner. I can see Angelos trying to pillage the entire Yankees farm system and try to get one over on their division rivals off the field after the O's held their own against the Yankees on the field this past season.

I don't see why a team like the Yanks should acquire Tejada to play 3B. If you're the Phils and the alternative is Greg "don't call me Lou" Dobbs, then sure, why the hell not. But Tejada is not worth that much as a 3B; the Yanks should be able to do better. Hell, Betemit is hardly any worse and is already under (a very cheap) contract to them.

Anybody have LaRussa's phone number?

Sam, either you like drinking, or you like steroids, and/or you want to see how all the double-switching and specialization translates. I'm not sure which of those would disturb me most.

What's a reasonable price in your opinion?

To be honest, I have no idea. Everytime a prospect trade proposal is thrown out around here, I almost always have a bad idea of who's getting what in terms of value. Personally, I don't want to see any of the guys who are already up go, not because they're too good or anything, but because they're part of the plan. Normally, I would be all for trading a guy like Kennedy, but he seems like the best bet IMO, for being the most reliable young guy next year, which makes him more valuable to the Yanks then in the abstract. I wouldn't mind parting with a top lower level prospect though, I think the Yanks still have a few. I really don't know how a guy like Alan Horne or Sanchez is perceived. I would probably consider giving up one of Tabata or Jackson, and I think one of those would get the job done. But to be honest, I have no scale, I'm just guessing. I usually wait for Fabian or IE to weigh in on Yankee prospects before I make my decisions. I also don't really know what the O's would be looking for other then what it says in the blurb.

Hell, Betemit is hardly any worse and is already under (a very cheap) contract to them.

Betemit is probably 4-5 wins worse than Tejada.

But what difference can 4-5 wins make?

Betemit is probably 4-5 wins worse than Tejada.

Tejada hit .296/.357/.442 (OPS+ 109) last year .287/.344/.477 (114) for his career (125-130 OPS+ level at his peak)
Betemit hit .229/.333/.454 (OPS+ 101) last year, .260/.332/.439

that's not a 4-5 win advantage for Tejada, unless you assume that Tejada is not declining and is going back up to 130 next year.

Of course the Yankees had scads of cash and Tejada is much more likely than Betemit to throw up a 130

Betemit is probably 4-5 wins worse than Tejada.

Meh... not unless Tejada is immediately fantastic defensively at a position he's never played before.

The Yanks should be able to either get a star 3B who actually is a 3B and actually is a star, or to spend the same amount of money and get a larger improvement than Betemit → Tejada. I don't see the point of acquiring a guy who is expensive, who isn't a 3B yet, and who, once you make him one, won't be a particularly good hitter for that position.

Betemit is probably 4-5 wins worse than Tejada.

That's a big exaggeration. Tejada's WSAB over the last two years were 10 and 5. And, Betemit, while he may be pessimistically projected as below average, is certainly better than bench.

Tejada's probably a two win upgrade over Betemit, not four or five. Of course, Betemit is likely a pretty good upgrade over whoever the utility infielder would be if Betemit was a regular, so you'd have to add that in too.

Tejada isn't replacing Betemit, he's replacing whoever would be the first baseman (Phillips or Minky). Betemit moves to first, Tejada to third, which probably may bump the defense or simply keep it about the same and will definately give the offense a boost. The Yanks also desperately need another right handed bat.

The Orioles also need a closer because of injuries to Chris Ray and Danys Báez

I think the writer forgot a comma between "Ray" and "and."

I laughed at this for about five minutes.

Seconded #55. Primey for #35.

If Tejada gets dealt for Farnsworth and a non-top Yankee prospect while Jim Hendry carves Ryan Theriot's name into the 2 spot, I'm probably going to lose it.

Mora could be had much more easily. He's more of a risk, but his price should be much cheaper than Tejada. Not my 1st choice by a long shot, but I'd prefer Mora to Betemit, or vastly overpaying for Tejada, but you'd have to hope that the Magic of Pinstripes™ could revive Mora for another year or two. Tejada should be a test of the new Orioles management. On his own, Angelos would likely overvalue Tejada or be so focused on "winning" a trade that Tejada would probably remain an Oriole in 2008. It'll be interesting to see if MacPhail actually gets the freedom to clean house.

Agree on #35…

Yes, 4-5 wins was overstating it, it's probably 2-3 (and closer to 2) with the bat, plus/minus whatever defense difference there is. Tejada is much more valuable to a team where he can play SS, which he still plays passably well.

I do think that expecting Betemit to put up even a 100 OPS+ in the American League is wishcasting.

I don't get 35.

Betemit as a left handed hitter is a perfectly decent hitter for a third baseman. All you need to do is get him a platoon partner. I don't know who's available, but Jeff Cirillo might work. He also has huge splits from the other side.

Not my 1st choice by a long shot, but I'd prefer Mora to Betemit, or vastly overpaying for Tejada

Mora is over 35, been under 100 OPS+ 2 years running and is not a good 3B
If I were the Yankees I'd much rather take my chances with Betemit who has out hit Mora on a per at basis (even accounting for league difficulty) the last 2 years.

I don't get 35.

Here's how it would read:

The Orioles also need a closer because of injuries to Chris Ray, and Danys Báez.

If you look at that, it says that the O's need a closer because Chris Ray is injured, and Danys Baez is Danys Baez, implying that he sucks too much to be a closer no matter what.

I don't know who's available

Mike Lamb. Maybe Morgan Ensberg.

Ahhhh...apparently I went to Cal Tech. RDF, now that I get it.

In terms of Yankees assets that other teams actually really want (thus excluding Farnsworth), Hughes and Joba are virtually untouchable: personally, I would only consider trading one of these two for a more expensive but proven top starter, like as part of a deal to acquire either Kazmir or Santana. Beyond these guys, the team has a limited number of valuable trading chips. Is Tejada really worth blowing your Kennedy/Tabata/etc. wad? Tejada is a perfectly decent player, and if available as a FA would make more sense, but right now Yankees talent is the scarcer resource than Yankees money. I might be more interested in the team taking its chances on Betemit, to keeping its trading chits ready for a bigger fish (which may or may not be Cabrera).

Yet Tejada, at a new position, wouldn't match the Yankees' "pitching and defense" mantra.

Heh.

But Tejada is not worth that much as a 3B; the Yanks should be able to do better. Hell, Betemit is hardly any worse

Wow.

I've watched Betemit since he was in the minors...he's like that candy corn you've still got at the bottom of the Haloween giveaway bowl - a piece or two isn't bad, but if you finish off the bowl, you'll probably be sick to your stomach. The more you see if him, the less you'll like.

If Miggy knew he's being compared with Betemit, he'd pout for a week.

If Miggy knew he's being compared with Betemit, he'd pout for a week.

This is exactly why I think Tejada could be a great pickup for some team. THere seems to be this attitude out there that Tejada is completely washed up, and basically a slightly better version of Mora. But Tejada can still play a passable SS, is only 32, and could easily bounce back and put up a 125 OPS+. Considering how much less talent he'd cost compared to Cabrera and how much less money he'd cost compared to ARod, he's a good option for a team like the Yankees or the Cubs.

What about Tejada to the A's as a replacement for Crosby? He could be probably be had for Huston Street + Crosby no?

I think so, too. As Kerry said at the Belfry for years, teams only make a mistake about Tejada when they think of him as someone to build around rather than as a fifth-or-sixth quality-hitting piece of the puzzle.

I've watched Betemit since he was in the minors...he's like that candy corn you've still got at the bottom of the Haloween giveaway bowl - a piece or two isn't bad, but if you finish off the bowl, you'll probably be sick to your stomach. The more you see if him, the less you'll like.

the yanks tried to acquire him for two years (first from the braves, then last year with the dodgers), but soured on him during his half season there. Specifically, over his dedication to conditioning. Cashman gave an interview just after a-rod opted out where he related that he had told Robinson Cano that (paraphrasing here) "if he wanted to make sure he (cano) didn't have to be the Yankees third baseman next year, he should make sure that his countryman (betemit) got his ass in shape")

not a good sign after 3 months with a new organization, especially with a shot at a starting job on the line, even before a-rod opted out, it was clear the yankees were looking at betemit for the starting job at 1st in 2008

"if he wanted to make sure he (cano) didn't have to be the Yankees third baseman next year, he should make sure that his countryman (betemit) got his ass in shape")

Do you have a link for that? I'd be interested in seeing the statement and anything else Cashman might have had to say. Thanks.

petey reported it on lohud, i'll see if i can dig it up

I think this is the source. George King in the NY Post, a week ago:

“I told him I would like to keep him at second and to make sure Wilson Betemit showed up (in shape)," Cashman said of the utility infielder who spent far too much time on clubhouse couches eating chips. “I told him to make sure his countryman (Dominican Republic) was up to the challenge. He said, ‘I will make sure.' "

No useful context to Cashman's remarks to see how serious he was. King of course doesn't source his "chips" criticism.

Interesting, thanks MCOA.

I like that Robinson is put in charge of Betemit. His attitude has improved a million times over since he was a rookie and I think he's going to be a natural leader of that team for years to come.

And he's the best player on the team now.

ah, yes, that's the one ... thanks.

as to the seriousness of it all, i think he was joking about moving cano if betemit showed up out of shape, but i don't think he was joking at all about not being happy with betemit's conditioning habits ...

This is exactly why I think Tejada could be a great pickup for some team. THere seems to be this attitude out there that Tejada is completely washed up, and basically a slightly better version of Mora. But Tejada can still play a passable SS, is only 32, and could easily bounce back and put up a 125 OPS+.

That's my feeling on Tejada as well. If he's traded, it'll be Robbie Alomar all over again, his bat will be great and people will talk about how "rejuvenated" Tejada looks. For what it's worth, his bat was quite good after he got off the DL.

Mora is over 35, been under 100 OPS+ 2 years running and is not a good 3B
If I were the Yankees I'd much rather take my chances with Betemit who has out hit Mora on a per at basis (even accounting for league difficulty) the last 2 years.

Mora is toast. I wouldn't be surprised if Scott Moore could keep up with him at the plate. And I certainly wouldn't mind Betemit over Mora once controlling for salary.

I wouldn't be surprised if Scott Moore could keep up with him at the plate. And I certainly wouldn't mind Betemit over Mora once controlling for salary.

Cripes... I am going to so pissed if Scott Moore turns into a moderately useful player - not so much because I think Scott Moore has reignited his prospect status, but because I can't he was basically given away for the worthlessness that is Steve F'ing Trachsel.

For what it's worth, his bat was quite good after he got off the DL.

Actually, overall it wasn't any different...when he went on the DL, he was creating 5.38 Runs Per Game...when the season was over, it was 5.30 per game. He did have two hot weeks in mid-September that got him up to 5.72, but then he didn't hit a lick over the last 12 days and ended up right back at 5.30.

http://www.birdsinthebelfry.com/runs_created_2007.htm

Actually, overall it wasn't any different...

Well, he hit 10 runs in August after hitting 7 HRs the previous 3 months. His OPS was .983 in Aug, far better than his previous three months. But his Sept sucked. I pretty much stopped watching the O's at that point so it was easy for me to overlook his weak month.