Kuzul

After a weekend filled with free agent acquisitions and a big trade, the winner at the end of the day is the World Series champion Giants. Even though the Giants lost World Series MVP Juan Uribe, they were able to steal Miguel Tejada away from their division rival Padres.

Tejada is a little old and I wish we had the Tejada of 10 years ago, but he’s still an effective shortstop that has a reliable bat. If it wasn’t good enough to steal your rival’s shortstops and leave them with a gap in the middle, things got even easier for the Giants as the weekend progressed.

The big-name trade was finalized this morning as the Padres dealt superstar Adrian Gonzalez for Casey Kelly, Raymond Fuentes, Anthony Rizzo and a player to be named later. While the Padres did get some young talent for Gonzalez, it was not nearly enough.

Kelly may be a good young right-handed starting pitcher, but in many baseball circles he is more regarded as as a second or third starter in a rotation.

Fuentes has high potential, but is still extremely raw. Rizzo is a young first baseman who is doing well in the minors, but there is no guarantee on how well he will perform when he is called upon.

While the Padres did receive some pieces, they have taken some steps back and no longer seem like a strong competitor for the NL West title.

The other big move this past weekend was Jayson Werth leaving Philadelphia to join the Nationals. While the Phillies are still uber-talented, they lost a big bat and defensive presence in Werth.

Werth was one of the only hitters on the Phillies’ roster that had success against Giants pitching in the NLCS. And his big seven-year, $126 million contract makes it almost impossible for the Phillies to replace him with Crawford.

Crawford has been expected to demand a bigger contract than Werth, and he may be now out of the Phillies’ price range.

Continue Reading…

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Brian Sabean has done it again.

This time he has gone out and filled the San Francisco Giants’ only real hole by signing shortstop Miguel Tejada to a one-year deal. 

Tejada, a former MVP, is now 36 and at the tail end of his career. 

So the question is, is Tejada the right man to help the Giants repeat? 

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MLB Rumors: It may be December, but there’s still plenty to talk about in the baseball world.

I know, I know—you probably are worrying about your favorite NFL team, stressing over the BCS or laughing (or crying) over what’s going on with the Miami Heat.

But the MLB is alive and kicking.

There are a ton of rumors (and some news) out there floating around about some of the game’s biggest stars.

So let’s take a look at what’s going on with America’s pastime. 

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With the signing of Miguel Tejada to a one-year deal (salary and bonus equaling $7M) the first question that comes to mind is: Why? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for signing Tejada, but why let Juan Uribe leave after winning a World Series with your team for the same exact amount of money?

Whether or not one will have a better year than the other is debatable and it seems like the biggest sticking point, for the second year in a row with Uribe, is the amount of years.

Tejada now has a one-year deal and Uribe has a three-year deal, although for the one common year between the two contracts (2011), they are making the same exact money.  So why let a company man walk over two years?

Furthermore, Tejada is 36 years old right now and 37 when this contract will be up.  Uribe is 31 right now and will be two years younger than Tejada is now when his contract expires.

So again, for similar quality players, the question remains. Why let Uribe walk for Tejada?

With rumors of Jason Bartlett’s availability, that is still an option worth looking at and that’s what I thought Giants GM Brian Sabean was up to. 

Listening to Juan Uribe talk about the courting process of the LA Dodgers, however, makes one realize it was more the proactive approach the Dodgers took that got the deal done with Uribe, who, for the second straight year, was left out to market over length of contract by the San Francisco Giants.

The rival Dodgers showed interest in Uribe from day one and made him feel “very proud,” and “very emotional,” he said when describing the courtship of the Dodgers.  Stephen Covey would be proud of the proactive approach the Dodgers are taking in this offseason and it is yielding results.

The Dodgers reportedly tried to lure away Aubrey Huff in the same manner and Huff accepted the Giants matching offer.  This strategy went the opposite way with Uribe, who is all smiles in his new uniform.

So now what’s done is done and the Giants made the right reactionary move in signing Tejada. 

Still, with Tejada’s age and limited range, are they signing Tejada to play shortstop or third base?  Putting a shortstop at third base worked in the playoffs beautifully. With Tejada’s lack of range at short, he still possesses veteran hands and would be a brick wall at the hot corner. 

This brings us back to Jason Bartlett, who at 31 years old is in the prime of his career at shortstop and is available for trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, who are looking to deal with a team with a deep bullpen.

Bringing in Bartlett is now an option again and he will also bring much-needed speed and defense to a notorious pitchers’ park, not to mention a WAG that will surely make one of the lists on BleacherReport.com. 

Is Bartlett even necessary, though, if Panda works out and returns to his form of two years ago and Mark DeRosa comes back and plays healthy this year?  If Bartlett plays short, Tejada plays third, then where do you put these other guys?

One can imagine a defensive alignment in this case looking like this.

C—Buster Posey

1B—Pablo Sandoval

2B—Freddy Sanchez

SS—Michael Bartlett

3B—Miguel Tejada

LF—Mark DeRosa

CF—Andres Torres

RF—Aubrey Huff

Then what happens if the Giants re-sign Cody Ross?  Most likely Mark DeRosa goes to the bench as a utility player and Cody goes to left field. 

What if Pat Burrell re-signs?  He becomes our pinch hitter.

But, of course, if Sandoval spends the year in Triple-A, then there is room for everybody.

Based on the reality of the situation, signing Miguel Tejada was a swift, decisive and correct move for the World Champions that didn’t cost them anything in a trade.

Trading for Bartlett using their bullpen depth would give the Giants long term security at shortstop, which is now needed, considering the moves made by the Dodgers getting Uribe and the Colorado Rockies signing Troy Tulowitski to a 10-year extension.

These two moves answer a lot of questions and give the Giants the same kind of veteran depth that they enjoyed in their championship run.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There has been a flurry of moves the past few days, so let’s take a look at the fantasy implications: 

Javier Vazquez signs with the Florida Marlins

This is the biggest move of the past few days.  After struggling mightily in the AL East (5.32 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 6.9 K/9), he returns to the NL East.  Let’s not forget, in 2009 while with the Braves, Vazquez put up Cy Young-esque numbers (2.87 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9.8 K/9).

It’s easy to expect an improvement just from escaping the new Yankees Stadium, though it’s not like he only struggled at home in 2010 (5.29 ERA at home and 5.34 ERA on the road).  He was simply bad, there’s no other way to put it. 

The most important thing to look at isn’t his peripherals, considering his BABIP (.276) and strand rate (71.9 percent) were both realistic numbers.  The problem was that he seemingly lost his fastball.  Just look at his average fastball over the past four years:

• 2007 – 91.8 mph
• 2008 – 91.7 mph
• 2009 – 91.1 mph
• 2010 – 88.7 mph

That is a huge drop-off and easily helps to explain the dramatic falloff in strikeouts.  He also had a huge loss in his control, with a 1.8 BB/9 in 2009 to a 3.7 BB/9 in 2010.  Granted, his 2009 mark was a career best, but he had not posted a mark worse than 2.6 since 2000. 

We can easily expect for him to improve with the move back to the NL, but the velocity is another problem altogether.  If he doesn’t get it back, he likely won’t be able to return to the days of a K/9 of at least 8.0, meaning his value is just not going to come back as much as fantasy owners hope. 

His new location certainly makes him a better player to take a flier on, but he is far from a lock to rebound.  I wouldn’t overdraft him based on the transition.  He remains a late round flier at this point. 

Juan Uribe signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers

After hitting .248 with 24 HR, 85 RBI and 64 R, Uribe leaves the Giants for their division rivals.  The first thing that jumps out is his average, which we would’ve expected him to improve upon regardless of where he signed. 

He actually improved his strikeout rate (17.7 percent) but suffered from extremely poor luck (.256 BABIP).  He’s had struggles there in the past, so while it isn’t a lock that he improves, you would have to expect him to be at least a little bit better.

While the majority of his struggles did come on the road (.215 average), it’s hard to read too much into that.  In 2010, he hit .258 with 3 HR, 9 RBI and 4 R at Dodgers Stadium.

What may be most appealing is that he joins a lineup with more offensive punch.  With Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Co., there should be plenty of opportunities for Uribe to continue to produce. 

He is likely to play 2B, meaning he may lose his SS eligibility long-term (though, does anyone expect Rafael Furcal to remain healthy).  It’s worth keeping in mind but shouldn’t sway his value in 2011 (as he will have eligibility there).

He was a low-end option to begin with and should remain as one now. 

Miguel Tejada signs with the San Francisco Giants

It didn’t take long for the Giants to find a replacement for Uribe, at least at some level.  It’s possible that Tejada plays 3B, depending on their stance on Pablo Sandoval, but that would still leave a void at SS.

Does the move change his fantasy value?  Not really.  His power is diminishing (I can’t put too much stock in his eight home runs after the trade to San Diego), he has no speed and is likely to hit for a good, not great, average. 

Just leave him valued the same as you would’ve. 

Yorvit Torrealba signs with the Texas Rangers

His presence in Texas likely means the end of Bengie Molina’s tenure there.  Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez will likely get looks as well but will likely be more of the backups.

Even if Torrealba does get the bulk of the at-bats, he has a career .257 average with no power (he’s never hit more than 8 HR in a season).  At this point, Texas catchers are not worth owning, even in two-catcher formats. 

Ryan Theriot is traded to the St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals needed help in the middle infield and Theriot is a nice fit.  If he finds himself hitting at the top of the Cardinals order, he gets a huge boost in value. 

He has a career OBP of .348 and certainly could push 90+ runs scored with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday hitting behind him.

Couple that with a little bit of speed (20+ stolen bases each of the past four years) and you get a player with value in deeper formats. 

He has little to no power, which hurts his overall appeal, but don’t rule him out because of it.  A solid average, runs scored and stolen bases…you could do worse in deeper formats.

What are your thoughts on these moves?  Whose value increases?  Whose doesn’t?

Make sure to check out our early 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 First Basemen
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Third Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 20 Starting Pitchers
• 2011 Fantasy Draft First-Round Breakdown

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After losing Juan Uribe to the Los Angles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants have found their replacement in veteran Miguel Tejada.

It has been reported that Tejada has signed with the Giants for a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. Tejada’s deal also includes $500,000 in performance-based bonuses.

Tejada is not a major upgrade and is not the All-Star he once was, but the Giants needed to find a replacement for Uribe and Edgar Renteria. Renteria’s team option of $9.5 million was declined by the Giants. Tejada batted .269 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI with the Orioles and Padres last season. Tejada is 36 years old but does still have some power left.

Tejada is nowhere near his 2002 form when he won MVP honors, but he still has a lot to bring to the table for the Giants. Tejada was one of the few options available in free agency and the Giants have made their second splash during the offseason.

Last week, the World Series champs brought back first baseman Aubrey Huff for 2 years and $22 million.

General Manager Brian Sabean would have loved to keep his 2010 roster in tact, but he has to do his best with what is available. The Giants made a smart move in bringing back Huff and have made a solid move in signing Tejada, as he was one of the best shortstops available in free agency.

Source: Enrique Rojas on Twitter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

First Jon Garland and now Miguel Tejada.

I asked another Padre friend of mine, via Twitter, if the San Diego Padres were planning on bringing anyone back for the 2011 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Garland just before Thanksgiving and now another NL West team has signed another former Padre.

This time, it was the San Francisco Giants who signed Tejada to a one-year $6.5 million deal after losing their own shortstop, Juan Uribe, also to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

What makes me question this move is the defensive liability in not only Tejada, but also with Pablo Sandoval over at third base. Tejada doesn’t have the range he once had and, playing on the same side of the infield as Sandoval, it might create a problem.

Maybe the Giants aren’t after defense, it looks as if they are trying to upgrade their offense for next season. Though I can’t say I blame them.

As for the Padres, it seems a lot of fans aren’t all that surprised by the move since the front office was not keen on the idea of paying Tejada nearly the amount of money the Giants gave him. Even on a one-year deal.

While I do agree with the sentiment, I can’t help but wonder if they are sitting on their hands and watching free agency pass them by. Or perhaps they plan to make a splash at next week’s winter meetings.

The team does have holes to fill in their rotation, as well as shortstop and second base, as David Eckstein was also not offered arbitration by the team.

It’s still early in the off season and there are a lot of changes to be made in quite a few teams.

The Dodgers made their move, the Rockies re-signed their star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and the Giants bring over Tejada.

The Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are the two teams yet to make any kind of a splash. Maybe next week will surprise everyone.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Francisco Giants are looking to rebuild the left side of their infield after winning the world series with a combo of Edgar Renteria at short and Juan Uribe at third base.

This duo led the Giants with a series winning solo homer over the Phillies in game six on the road by Uribe in the NLCS and a three run shot by Renteria in the heart of self-proclaimed ‘God’s Country’ to win the World Series.

Renteria was under contract with a team option for 2011 and was due to make over $10M. Even though Renteria won the World Series with one shot, his health concerns and overall durability over a 162 game season is highly questionable. So the Giants smartly elected to pay off the $500K that declines the option and ends the contract, as the Giants needed that money to keep Aubrey Huff, who just signed on for another 2-3 years and is making Renteria’s old salary.

It would be great to sign Renteria on as a role player that is more appropriate for the Giants’ budget. Clutch players like him are evidently worth their weight in gold come championship time. That’s probably not an option though as Renteria has publicly stated he wants to end his career in either St. Louis or Florida.

Uribe on the other hand is younger, nearly as clutch, a club favorite (U-Ribe!), and with Renteria at short, that whole left side was shut down to right handed bats trying to find a hole.  

Uribe is a free agent and was offered type B arbitration by the San Francisco Giants. This means if another team signs Uribe, the Giants are at least compensated with a draft pick from the signing team. This move was made in an attempt to protect Uribe from other clubs while getting the price for Uribe the Giants are willing to pay; $5.5M-$6M.

Then the Giants’ rival Los Angeles Dodgers entered the picture and are courting Uribe to fill their own holes with oft injured short stop Rafael Furcal and third baseman Casey Blake contract ending after this season.

When a lesser known Juan Uribe left the 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox to take more money in San Francisco, White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen said that he will be your (team’s) best shortstop, your best second baseman, you best third baseman. Guillen was right as Juan Uribe has contributed as much as anyone to the Giants over the years.

So if Uribe goes because the Dodgers outbid the Giants, then the Giants are left with a glaring hole or two that will be filled with either free agency or by trade or both.

This is where Miguel Tejada comes in and a return to the Bay Area is the perfect fit for the veteran batsman. Tejada is a veteran plate presence who works counts and gets timely hits. Last season, he was one of the better players for the Padres late in the season against the Giants. A bat like his in the lineup has ripple effects on an entire lineup.

He is a solid infielder and still makes great plays at shortstop. If the Giants decide to trade for a shortstop like Jason Bartlett, then Tejada could shift to third as Bruce Bochy demonstrated last season how important it is to have a flexible lineup that can match up against different sorts of teams.

Lastly, Tejada is an iron man. He’s available to play every game from spring to winter year in and year out and Tejada will provide the consistency that was missing from Edgar Renteria, while providing the flexibility and pop that will be missed if Uribe leaves.

This is really the only area of the team where the Giants are in rebuilding mode. Making the right decisions at short stop and third base will make the Giants a better team than they were last year. Miguel Tejada is a step in that direction

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Oakland Athletics have a history of talented and interesting players.

The club was born in Philadelphia in 1901, left for Kansas City in 1955, and finally settled in Oakland in 1968. They are the proud owners of nine world series titles, trailing only the Saint Louis Cardinals (10) and the New York Yankees (27).

37 Athletics are enshrined in the baseball hall of fame and there are certainly more to come.

My criteria for this list includes: statistics, defense, aura, and longevity with the team.

There’s no scientific formula here, but be assured, I conducted thorough research.

I’ll only take into account players statistics when they were on the A’s, dismissing contributions they made with other teams. The numbers listed will reflect this.

I will also include non-players (managers, announcers, etc.) that had a significant impact on the organization.

Without further ado, here are the Top 25 Oakland Athletics.

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One more.

That’s all the San Diego Padres can afford before their off season officially begins a lot sooner than they thought it would.

Looking back to the end of August, the Padres had what most would consider a big lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants. Fast forward one month, and not only is their lead gone but the deficit has reached its breaking point after losing 22 of their last 34 games.

They face the Giants on Friday night in what will be a three game set in San Francisco. The situation has gotten so bleak for San Diego that they not only need to sweep the three-game set, but they need the Philadelphia Phillies to sweep the Atlanta Braves over the next three days. Something that’s not likely to happen, especially with the Phillies having already wrapped up the National League’s Eastern Division.

Whether that loss comes tonight, Saturday, or Sunday, the Padres front office knows that there are decisions that will need to be made to improve this team for the 2011 season to keep this kind of collapse from happening again.

Sure they’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, but you won’t be remembered for how you played the first five months of the season, you’ll be remembered for how you finished. The Padres couldn’t do that, and they could be watching October baseball from home.

With that in mind, here are some issues facing the front office, and where I think the Padres will go with each one.

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