Giants fans had to be excited when they woke up on Wednesday to a report from Mychael Urban of CSN Bay Area that said their club was interested in acquiring Mets’ shortstop Jose Reyes. But they’ll have to temper that excitement for now.

GM Brian Sabean told Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.com that he hasn’t spoken with his Mets’ counterpart Sandy Alderson since January. So as Rubin notes, Reyes may be a fit for San Francisco but a deal won’t be happening anytime soon.

When Juan Uribe surprised the Giants’ brass last winter by signing with the rival Dodgers, Sabean became desperate to fill the hole at shortstop. So he overpaid (a habit he seems to enjoy) for Miguel Tejada, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract in November. It’s only been 30 games but the fans in San Francisco have already grown restless with Tejada’s shoddy play. He’s hitting just .204 with one home run and possesses a dismal .243 on base percentage. What’s worse is that his play in the infield has been just as bad. (His error at third base a few nights ago ruined what had been a great outing from youngster Madison Bumgarner.)

But while fans may want Reyes in a Giants’ uniform today, the club isn’t going to give up on a $6.5 million offseason investment after only one month. Granted, it’s not the fans or the rest of the team’s fault that Sabean seemingly screwed the pooch by not only signing Tejada, but also overpaying for him as well. But those are the breaks.

There are other factors to consider as well when it comes to trading for a guy like Reyes, which I outlined in this post yesterday. The bottom line is that Reyes isn’t going anywhere today, next week, or even a month from now. He’s probably going to be in New York until the trade deadline approaches in July. So for now, Giant fans will just have to hope that someone like Mark DeRosa (who has spent more time on the disabled list than on the field since Sabean signed him to a two-year deal last year) can save them from their Tejada misery.

For those who have had the misfortune of watching Miguel Tejada play on a nightly basis, the answer to the question in the title should roll off the tongue: “Yes. Yes the Giants should acquire Jose Reyes. Please God, in all your holiness, allow the Giants to acquire Jose Reyes so that I don’t have to continue to endure Miguel Tejada.”

But the question becomes a little more convoluted when you consider the many factors that would go into trading for Reyes. For starters, the Giants would have to accommodate his $11 million salary this year. That may not be a big deal in the short term, but there are rumors that the 27-year-old will be looking to match Carl Crawford’s seven-year, $142 million deal when he hits free agency this winter. Would the Giants be willing to give up a top prospect in order to acquire a rent-a-player for a couple of months? Furthermore, should they?

The Mets will probably ask but it’s doubtful that the Giants would part with either Madison Bumgarner or Brandon Belt. Either of those players would be too much to give up to acquire a player that New York is looking to dump anyway. The Giants could pitch (pun definitely intended) Jonathan Sanchez in a deal, although that would leave a gapping hole in their pristine rotation. They could probably get by with a starting five of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Bumgarner, Barry Zito and Ryan Volgelsong, but why weaken the pitching staff when the point of acquiring Reyes is to win now?

The more likely scenario for the Giants is to center a deal around former first rounder Zack Wheeler, who was taken sixth overall in 2009. He is one of the top 55 best prospects in the game and while it would deplete the Giants’ already thin farm system, they could stomach that blow much easier than they could if they dealt someone like Sanchez.

But again, it all comes back to whether or not the Giants should make a deal like this. Yes, Reyes would be a massive upgrade over Tejada and once Pablo Sandoval returns in 4-6 weeks, their struggling offense would like rather potent. Assuming Reyes stays healthy and continues to hit as well as he has over the first month of the season, he could lift the Giants back into World Series contention. That said, does a team like San Fran make a move like this for a potential rent-a-player? It’s a tough call, although a few more weeks of watching Tejada flail at pitches and try to play ground balls to his side could force the Giants’ hand.

The baseball gods are making up for last year as it pertains to injuries and the San Francisco Giants.

After not suffering one major injury on their way to winning the World Series last season, the Giants will be without their best hitter (at least currently) for the next 4-6 weeks this year as Pablo Sandoval fractured his hamate bone in his right wrist. It’s a major blow for a lineup that has been filthy bad for the past week or so.

Ryan Rohlinger has been called up from Triple-A, although manager Bruce Bochy has already stated that Miguel Tejada and Mike Fontenot will see plenty of time at third base and shortstop, respectively. In other words, Bochy has managed to make an already struggling lineup, much, much worse.

Some people will point out that the Giants won the World Series last year with Sandoval on the bench. But they also had a versatile Juan Uribe (now with the Dodgers) and Sandoval is the only hitter who is doing anything for the Giants currently. Make no mistake: This is a massive blow to the defending champs.

Maybe the Giants will get lucky and either Manny Burriss or Rohlinger will start hitting. If not, it’s going to be a long 4-6 weeks watching Miguel Tejada and Mike Fontenot play every day.

In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

First up is the AL East.

1. New York Yankees (1)
If you think I would get cute in these rankings and suggest that some upstart team would derail the Yankees this season, then you sir, are sadly mistaken. I just don’t have the conjones to bet against them, especially after they added Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson to their already stacked roster. Sure they lost World Series MVP Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon, the latter of which loved to work the count and provided the Yanks with some pop over the last couple of seasons. But thanks to Granderson, Johnson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Texeira, Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada, the lineup is still stacked from top to bottom. Vazquez, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mariano Rivera will once again highlight a strong pitching staff and assuming they don’t suffer any major injuries, there’s nothing to suggest that the Bombers won’t make another championship run. That said, let’s not be oblivious to the potential problems that could arise for the Yanks this season. Age is a factor, as is the fact that Granderson can’t hit lefties and will be under the spotlight as the club’s biggest offseason acquisition. Plus, for as good as Vazquez was over the past couple of years, he was a disaster the last time he wore pinstripes (Boston fans remember this well.) Should the Yankees win another World Series? Yeah – especially considering they have the best-purchased roster in baseball. But just like last year, they still have to prove it between the lines and they’re not immune to hurdles getting in their way.

2. Boston Red Sox (3)
Based on the moves they made this offseason, you either love the Red Sox’s chances this year or you’re willing to write them off like your favorite tax exemption. The club acquired ace John Lackey, outfielder Mike Cameron and infielders Marco Scutaro and Adrian Beltre last winter. Every player will be counted on to contribute this season, but they all come with question marks as well. When healthy, Lackey is virtually guaranteed to win 15-plus games and pitch over 200 innings. But he has to stay healthy. Cameron is a huge upgrade over Jason Bay in the outfield, but he won’t fill Bay’s shoes offensively. Scutaro is coming off a career year but the law of averages suggest that he’ll take a step back in 2010 and there’s no telling what Boston will get out of Beltre after he only appeared in 111 games last season due to an injury. Plus, will Big Papi carry over his production from June to September last year or will he struggle as he did at the start of 2009? That said, the BoSox are still stacked. Along with Lackey, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz give Boston the best pitching staff in the division and their bullpen is solid as well. Ortiz, Beltre, Cameron, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Victor Martinez comprise an offense that should help Boston win over 95 games this season and compete for a postseason berth. Their defense has also improved dramatically with the addition of Cameron and Ellsbury’s move from center to left. Do they have unanswered questions? Of course – all clubs do at this time of year. Will they overcome the Yankees? Maybe. Will they compete? Most definitely.

3. Tampa Bay Rays (7)
The Rays stumbled out of the gates last year, although they fought through injuries in order to finish with a respectable 84-78 record. But they didn’t make any moves this offseason, so it’s hard to figure out whether or not they’re going to compete for a postseason berth or finish with roughly the same record as they did in 2009. If BJ Upton stays healthy for an entire season and rebounds, then the Rays have more than enough offense in him, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena and Ben Zobrist to compete. And if a No. 1 emerges out of David Price, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann or James Shields, then the Rays will compete. If, if, if, if. I want to believe that the Rays are the perfect team to unseat the Yankees and Red Sox (two teams that have had more than enough time at the top) in the division. But there’s no question that they’ll have to overachieve again like they did in 2008 in order to make the postseason. They have the talent, but they need an ace to emerge, Upton to be productive again and for Crawford (whose contract is up at the end of the year) to stay happy or else they’re destined for another third place finish.

4. Baltimore Orioles (22)
The O’s have several pieces that will get your heat pumping just like the time you stole that car and led the police on a two-hour joy ride down the interstate. Wait…what? Nick Markakis is already a fine ballplayer, Adam Jones showed his vast potential last year before getting hurt and Matt Wieters is already being described as the next Joe Mauer (only with more power). The club also improved in a couple of areas over the offseason, namely at third base with the acquisition of Miguel Tejada, at first base with Garrett Atkins and in their starting rotation with Kevin Millwood. But it’s hard to measure how good this club will be when they play in the AL East and their pitching still has the potential to be down right hideous again. It says a lot about a team’s starting staff when the team leader in ERA finished with a 5.04 mark (Jeremy Gutherie). Maybe Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta will surprise and overachieve this season, but chances are Baltimore will top out around 75-80 wins in 2010. They should be improved, but again, their division will keep them from competing for a postseason berth again this year.

5. Toronto Blue Jays (27)
Mom always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say then you shouldn’t say anything at all. But mom doesn’t have to complete this preview now does she? The Blue Jays traded away ace Roy Halladay in the offseason and while they may benefit from the deal down the road, they don’t have anyone to pick up the slack in 2010. They also lost one of their top offensive pieces from last year in Marco Scutaro and replaced him with Alex Gonzalez. That’s great news if you’re into defensive wizards that can’t hit over .250 on a consistent basis. The club does have a couple of nice/promising/okay/whatever pieces Vernon Wells, Ricky Romero, Brandon Marrow, Aaron Hill and Travis Snider, but the bottom line is that the Jays are in rebuilding mode and will wind up collecting dust all season in the basement of the AL East. They’re going to be horrible and there’s very little to like about their chances to succeed in 2010. Sorry, Mom.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/03/22/2010-mlb-preview-al-east/feed/ 1 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/01/23/miguel-tejada-signs-with-orioles/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/01/23/miguel-tejada-signs-with-orioles/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:23:16 +0000 Christopher Glotfelty http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=33459

Miguel Tejada is headed back to Baltimore after signing a one-year deal with the Orioles worth $6 million. He has agreed to play third base since the club wants to keep Cesar Izturis at shortstop.

From Yahoo! Sports:

Tejada made more than $14 million with the Houston Astros in 2009, the final season of a six-year, $72 million contract he signed with the Orioles. Tejada played shortstop with the Orioles from 2004-07 before being traded to Houston for five players: outfielder Luke Scott(notes), pitchers Troy Patton(notes), Matt Albers(notes) and Dennis Sarfate(notes), and third baseman Mike Costanzo.

Cesar Izturis(notes) played deftly in the field at shortstop with Baltimore last year and is expected to retain his starting position in 2010. Tejada will be asked to play third base, a position that became vacant when the Orioles decided against bringing back Melvin Mora(notes).

“I’ll play in third base, which means a change in my career,” he said. “It’s like the beginning of a new career, but I’ll continue doing my same workout routine to be able continue my career.”

This was a wise pickup by the Orioles as they’ve now completed their infield. Tejada did well for the Houston Astros last season, hitting .313 with 14 home runs and 86 RBIs in 158 games. He might be a disaster at the hot corner, but the Orioles will benefit from his bat.

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]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/01/23/miguel-tejada-signs-with-orioles/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/06/15/five-mlb-trades-that-don%e2%80%99t-need-to-happen/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2009/06/15/five-mlb-trades-that-don%e2%80%99t-need-to-happen/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:05:16 +0000 Anthony Stalter http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=20047

I get it – baseball trades are fun. They’re fun to speculate about, they’re fun to debate and they’re fun to analyze. But just because a club needs a bat, an arm or is just looking to shrink salary, doesn’t mean that a trade needs to happen.

I’ve compiled a list of five trade rumors and where they originated. I then discuss why each of them makes sense, but why they also don’t necessarily need to happen.

Rumor #1: The Red Sox will trade for Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Why it makes sense: Boston is growing impatient waiting for Jed Lowrie to recover from a wrist injury that has held him out since mid-April. They’re also tired of watching Julio Lugo (who is equally bad offensively as he is defensively) make a mockery of the game whenever he trots onto the field. While Nick Green has done well filling in for Lowrie while he’s been hurt and for Lugo while he continues to work on being the most overpaid player in professional sports, the Sox feel they could do better with Wilson. (There’s also a rumor making the rounds that Boston wouldn’t have to give up any top prospects in order to acquire Wilson – they just would need to take on the rest of his salary.)
Why it doesn’t need to happen: Wilson is excellent defensively, but he brings very little to the table in terms of offense. He’s also overpaid himself, as he’ll make $7.25 million this year and $8.4 million in 2010 despite being limited at the dish. While waiting for Lowrie to return to the field has been a slow death for the Sox, he’s cheaper than Wilson and gives the team a better overall player at the position (when he’s healthy, of course). Plus, Green has played well and Boston might be better served holding onto prospects in order to make a more productive move around the trade deadline (i.e. adding another bat in case David Oritz plans on hitting south of .200 all season) than one involving Wilson.

Rumor #2: The Giants will trade for Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla (Sun-Sentinel)
Why it makes sense: The Giants are playing better than most expected this season, but they’re doing it all with pitching. They’ve surrendered the fewest runs this year (233), but have scored the third fewest (248) themselves. San Fran might not be able to catch the streaking Dodgers in the NL West (as of this writing, the Giants are seven games back of L.A. in the division despite being six games above .500), but if they continue to play well, the Wild Card is certainly attainable. But they need offense – badly. While Uggla’s batting average has been atrocious all season, he does have 11 home runs and 40 RBI so the thought is that he could add much-needed pop to the Giants’ lineup.
Why it doesn’t need to happen: Yes, the Giants do need offense. But don’t forget that they play in a pitcher’s park so even if they did acquire Uggla, who knows how his power would translate to AT&T Park. And his average is death so if he’s not going to hit home runs, he’s not worth acquiring (and don’t forget that his defense is brutal, too). The Giants’ current starting second baseman is Emmanuel Burriss, who has zero pop and has struggled at the plate despite tearing it up in the spring, but he has an outstanding glove and he’s young. It’s rumored that the Marlins would be looking for young pitching in exchange for Uggla, but it’s not worth it for the Giants to give up a young arm like Jonathan Sanchez (even though he’s struggling) to acquire Uggla while there are still options within the organization (and I don’t necessarily mean Burriss, who has been brutal, but Kevin Frandsen, who has been absolutely hosed by the organization this season). Plus, the Giants aren’t one bat away from making a deep postseason run – they’re two or three bats away. Acquiring Uggla isn’t going to change that. The Giants have also been linked to players like Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko and I would say the same thing about them as I do about Uggla – those players aren’t worth giving up young arms with the Giants still a year or two away from seriously competing. Unless they could get a young bat in a deal, San Fran GM Brian Sabean should stand pat and continue his rebuilding plan.

Rumor #3: The Cardinals will trade for Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Why it makes sense: Manager Tony La Russa desperately wants to add another bat to the lineup to help protect Albert Pujols and upgrading the left side of the infield while Troy Glaus and Khalil Greene continue to miss time is a necessity as well. Tejada would cover both needs as he’s hitting .344 with six home runs and some feel as though he can play third base if needed, although he has never actually played there before.
Why it doesn’t need to happen: First and foremost, there’s no guarantee that the Astros would want to trade within their own division. Plus, despite currently being three games under .500 and in last place, Houston is only four games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, so they’ll hang onto Tejada if they feel as though they have a shot at the playoffs (however slim those hopes may be). But looking at this from the Cardinals’ perspective, acquiring Tejada doesn’t make as much sense as going after someone like Cleveland’s Mark DeRosa, who is also rumored to be available. Tejada will earn $13 million in 2009 and is set to become a free agent in 2010. Chances are, St. Louis wouldn’t re-sign Tejada in the offseason and they’d probably have to pay Houston a premium because it would be a trade down within the division. Throw in the fact that Tejada isn’t that great of a defensive player and adding him makes little sense. A guy like DeRosa would still give the Cards a quality bat, a better defender who has actually spent time at third base, and cheaper player to boot.

Rumor #4: The Padres will trade Adrian Gonzalez (ESPN.com’s Buster Onley)
Why it makes sense: It doesn’t make sense unless you look at it from the view of the Padres’ front office, who wants to cut team salary significantly. (That’s why San Diego has been actively shopping Jake Peavy.)
Why it doesn’t need to happen: This is more of a notion than a rumor. As previously noted, the Padres want to cut salary but they’ve been unable to move Peavy, so speculation has it that they could wind up dealing Gonzo if the right trade comes along. But while cutting salary is important to the front office, GM Kevin Towers can’t just give up a young slugger like Gonzalez in a cost-cutting move. Obviously Towers would get a couple of prospects in exchange for Gonzo, but would he be willing to take a lesser deal just to free up some money? If so, that would be incredibly disappointing for a Padre fan base that has embraced Gonzalez and hopes that he’ll still be around when San Diego eventually is competitive again (whenever that might be).

Rumor #5: The Red Sox will trade Brad Penny (Boston Globe)
Why it makes sense: With John Smoltz set to come back soon from a rehab assignment, Penny will be expandable to the Red Sox, who have discussed moving him to the pen (despite his unwillingness) when Smoltz returns to the mound. Boston seemingly has an abundance of starting pitching and if they could get a couple of prospects or a position player of worth in exchange for Penny, why not move him?
Why it doesn’t need to happen: A lot has been made about Boston’s pitching depth, but things could go from good to ugly at the drop of a dime. Dice-K has been brutal and has already made one trip to the DL. Josh Beckett started off slow, recovered to pitch incredibly well over the last month but then was shelled yesterday in Philadelphia. Smoltz is set to return from his rehab assignment, but who knows how he’ll pitch once he faces major league batters again. So essentially yes, the Red Sox do have a ton of depth. But that could vanish in a heartbeat and while Penny has looked good in his last three starts, teams aren’t going to be willing to overpay for the 31-year old’s services – especially knowing that Boston has an abundance of arms. In the end, holding on to Penny for depth and in case of injuries to other starters might be worth it in the end. Of course, if some club offers a top prospect in exchange for Penny (which is doubtful), then all bets are off.

According to a report by Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals have their eyes on Astros’ shortstop Miguel Tejada.

The Cardinals have expanded their search for an additional hitter to include Houston Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada. Tejada fits the profile of what the Cardinals are seeking — an offensive deterrent capable of playing multiple positions. The Astros are experiencing financial problems and could part with a player owed $13 million this season. Tejada entered Wednesday leading the NL in batting with a .357 average and 21 doubles. He ranked third in the league with a .354 average against righthanded pitching. … Khalil Greene managed three hits Wednesday night in his second game on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.

It’s amazing how the Cards are scrambling to add a shortstop after being excited about picking up Khalil Greene this offseason. When I interviewed Tony La Russa before the season regarding his “ARF” Foundation, he mentioned Greene’s name several times in reference to how St. Louis was glad to have him in their lineup. Greene has missed time due to “anxiety-related issues,” but maybe he can bounce back and St. Louis won’t have to make a move in the end.

Tejada has some tread on his tires, but the guy can obviously still hit. The Cards need to do something if they want to eventually separately themselves in a tight NL Central.