They think Tejada's performance at the plate will offset the number of additional runs he'll let in at shortstop enough to make this an upgrade? I thought they were a smart front office.

Yeah, teams must be really hard up for shortstops if the best thing they can think of is to move Peralta and Tejada back there...

How is this an upgrade?

They think Tejada's performance at the plate will offset the number of additional runs he'll let in at shortstop enough to make this an upgrade? I thought they were a smart front office.

Maybe they think his glove will be enough to offset the offensive black hole he has become...

Yeah, the Rays are sitting on a freaking gold mine with Bartlett, Brignac and Zobrist all around. Wonder if there's any scenario that would make sense for them to trade one of those guys to a NL contender and get something back with more marginal utility to their roster.

]the Padres think he can return to his shortstop roots

Ouch.

How'd they get into first place with thinking like that? It's a fine move, considering they're giving up nuthin.' If he were playing 3B and PH, cool. But SS? This is the NL, boys!

How is this an upgrade?

Cabrera has been terrible. Still though, I can't even imagine how bad Tejada's going to be in SD. This upgrade will probably be worth .000000000000001 wins.

Yeah, but Everth Cabrera has been unremittingly awful. Who else do they have? All this SS shuffling makes you wonder just how ahead of the curve the Braves and Jays were with their swap. You think the Tigers or Friars would like to have Yunel Escobar right now?

Im willing to bet theriot can be had quite easily

Don't know how much is left in the tank for Miggy. Really seemed outmatched at the plate this year in Baltimore. Defense at 3b was OK- very little range, still has a good arm. Doesn't run out ground balls very hard. A shadow of the player who for a year or two was in the running for best SS in baseball with Nomar and Jeter.
Andy MacPhail made 4 free agent purchases this off-season and each was thought to be a reasonable buy - Tejada, Garret Atkins, Mike Gonzales and Will Ohman. He also picked up Kevin Millwood's 10 million dollar contract. Ouch! and I believe he is a smart baseball guy.

the Padres think he can return to his shortstop roots

I hope for the Padres' sake this is pure speculation on the part of the blogger.

A shadow of the player who for a year or two was in the running for best SS in baseball with Nomar and Jeter.

Uh, I think you're forgetting someone...

I'd take Jack Wilson over Tejada at this point. Any Mariner name Wilson would be an improvement at SS over Tejada.

A shadow of the player who for a year or two was in the running for best SS in baseball with Nomar and Jeter.

Uh, I think you're forgetting someone...

How could anyone forget Omar Visquel? For shame, for shame.

each was thought to be a reasonable buy - Tejada, Garret Atkins, Mike Gonzales and Will Ohman

I don't remember anyone whose opinion I respect at all portraying the Atkins signing as anything but a pointless overpay for a marginal talent.

Is Hairston hurt? He's been a surpringly good shortstop this year.

Cabrera has been terrible.

Is he the starting shortstop? J. Hairston seems to have logged more time there and has an OPS+ no worse than Tejada.

Is Hairston a total butcher in the field? Is he injured? Anyway, Tejada going back to SS does not look like much of an upgrade unless Hairston is, as I asked, a complete butcher.

EDIT: COKE to AROM -- Teach me to go to Court before posting. Next time, I get in first, and let the malpractice carrier worry about the missed hearing.

I don't remember anyone whose opinion I respect at all portraying the Atkins signing as anything but a pointless overpay for a marginal talent.

Well, I don't know if I fall into that first category, but I called it a pointless overpay for a marginal and redundant talent. For some reason, despite having Wigginton, they decided to get Atkins and Tejada too.

This reeks of "acquire name player to placate team so we can say we did something at the deadline".

Is Hairston hurt? He's been a surpringly good shortstop this year.

No, but Eckstein is. This trade is about creating some depth. With Eckstein out, the Padres are playing Cabrera/Hairston every day up the middle. They don't really have anybody to back up Headley at 3B with Hairston starting at 2B everyday.

With Tejada, they at least have some options. Hopefully when Eckstein comes back, Tejada won't see any starts.

I don't remember anyone whose opinion I respect at all portraying the Atkins signing as anything but a pointless overpay for a marginal talent.

Not that I saw this coming (then again, not that I liked the Atkins signing...), but Aubrey Huff only cost the Giants $3M and he's basically carrying the offense. Given the crane kick to the head apparently sustained by Kung Fu Panda, the Giants' playoff run would likely be nonexistent if they did not have Aubrey Huff.

Switching topics, it's amazing that we've gone from the time when Tejada at his peak was still the 4th best SS in the league, to these rankings: (according to WAR)

1. Alexei Ramirez
2. Marco Scutaro
3. Cliff Pennington
4. Derek Jeter
5. Nick Punto
6. Ramon Santiago

Hopefully when Eckstein comes back, Tejada won't see any starts.

This is an astonishing sentence.

trust me on this - tejada is an awful fielding SS
when geoff blum does a better job, this is not good

he also is basically tapped out as a hitter - can't run, has a tough time getting balls out of the IF

and this was LAST year