Tejada backs off on his contract desires

[nyy26wc]

1) A's SS Miguel Tejada had previously stated he's looking for a new 8-10 year contract. But, now he says, "I really don't look for particular years. I just want to play baseball, and Billy Beane will decide how many years I'll be here."

The player who not only wasn't even really the most valuable one on his own team, and it's arguable whether he was even the most valuable on the left side of his own infield, is eligible for free agency after the 2003 season.

After 12 RCAA/.828 OPS and 8 RCAA/.801 OPS seasons, Tejada hit .508 SLG, .354 OBA, .861 OPS, 21 RCAA in 162 games in 2002. He has a .788 career OPS, compared to his league average of .775, and 10 RCAA in 774 games.

2) The Diamondbacks re-signed 2B Junior Spivey to a 2 year, $2.7 million contract.

After a .778 OPS/-1 RCAA in 72 games as a 26 year old rookie in 2001, Spivey had a surprise .476 SLG, .389 OBA, .865 OPS, 22 RCAA in 143 games in 2002.

3) The Angels don't expect Aaron Sele to be available until at least May, possibly even June. So, Scott Schoeneweis and Mickey Callaway are the top candidates to take his spot in the rotation, with there being speculation both ways as to who which pitcher is the frontrunner.

4) David Wells says players using ephedrine is the team's fault because they have imposed the unfair expectation of requiring players to not come into camp overweight.

The clown also says, "The Orioles should be accountable [for Steve Bechler's death]. They didn't realize the kid was so eager to make the team. He was going to take whatever it took."

5) The Reds re-signed INFs Gookie Dawkins and Rainer Olmedo, OF Stephen Smitherman and Ps Jerome Gamble, Blake Williams, Ricardo Aramboles, Chris Booker, Josh Hall and Luke Hudson to 1 year contracts.

6) BlueJays GM J.P. Ricciardi says Jayson Werth may start the season in AAA.

At one point in the offseason, Werth was considered the leading candidate for the starting RF job, but that was before the team signed Frank Catalanotto. Ricciardi says Werth may benefit more from starting the year in the minors and then being called up during the season, similar to the approach they took last year with Orlando Hudson and Josh Phelps.

Werth hit .348 SLG, .340 OBA, .687 OPS, -2 RCAA in his first 15 major league games. After having a .886 OPS (.387 OBA, .499 SLG) in AA in 2001, he had a .799 OPS (.354 OBA, .445 SLG) in AAA in 2002.

7) According to Cubs MGR Dusty Baker, Eric Karros "is working his butt off. He is out there in the morning hitting early and still out there hitting when I leave. It's a positive sign he is healthy or he couldn't do all these things."

It's not a good sign when a manager with a reputation for preferring veterans sings the praise of someone like Karros when the team has a rookie like Hee Seop Choi who's ready to claim the job.

8) Braves MGR Bobby Cox says the 5th starter's job is "wide open."

Horacio Ramirez, Andy Pratt, Jung Bong and Trey Hodges would be attempting to take Jason Marquis's job away from him. That is, if Cox is really serious and isn't just attempting to motivate Marquis.

9) The Expos signed INF Trace Coquilette to a minor league contract.

Coquilette had a .630 OPS/-9 RCAA in 51 games with the 1999-2000 Expos.

10) Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti says Ryan Jensen is the early frontrunner for the 5th starter's job, over Kurt Ainsworth.

The rest of the rotation will be Kirk Rueter, Jason Schmidt, Livan Hernandez and Damian Moss. MGR Felipe Alou says that is going to be the order for the first 4 spring training games and while it may the order when the season starts, that hasn't been decided yet.

11) The Dodgers re-signed SS Cesar Izturis to a 1 year, $335,000 contract. It's a "split contract", which means it will pay him less if he's in the minors. They also re-signed C Loyie Hill, OF Chin-Feng Chen and Ps Victor Alvarez, Hong-Chih Kuo, Steve Colyer and Andrew Brown to 1 year contracts.

After having sub .300 OBA's 3 times in his 5 years in the minors, Izturis hit .303 SLG, .253 OBA, .556 OPS, -33 RCAA in 135 games in his first year as a starter. His -33 RCAA set the Dodgers record for the worst figure by a 22 year old--

RCAA                          YEAR    RCAA    
1    Cesar Izturis            2002      -33   
2    Pee Wee Reese            1941      -23   
3    Eddie Basinski           1945      -17   
4    Al Lopez                 1931      -15   
5    Phil Lewis               1907      -14   
6    Zack Taylor              1921      -12   
T7   Paul Konerko             1998      -10   
T7   Eddie Miksis             1949      -10   
T7   Tommy Davis              1961      -10   
T10  Mariano Duncan           1985       -9   
T10  Dave Anderson            1983       -9   
T10  Lew Malone               1919       -9   

12) Orioles MGR Mike Hargrove says Geronimo Gil will retain his starting C job, but he also wants to use Brook Fordyce more often this season.

Gil hit .363 SLG, .270 OBA, .632 OPS, -26 RCAA in 125 games in his first year as a starter in 2002, while Fordyce is coming off a .315 SLG, .301 OBA, .616 OPS, -7 RCAA season in 56 games and has a .718 career OPS, compared to his league average of .776, and -25 RCAA in 461 games.

13) The Rockies say they'll use a humidor to store the baseballs at Coors Field again this year.

14) Lance Johnson showed up in the Pirates camp yesterday, looking for the job, and wasn't offered a contract.

15) The Mets re-signed OF Raul Gonzalez and Ps Tyler Walker and Jae Seo to 1 year contracts.

16) The Expos competition for the 5th starter's job will be T.J. Tucker, Zach Day, Britt Reames and Sun-Woo Kim.

17) The Cubs battle for the final spot in the bullpen will be between Juan Cruz, Joe Borowski, Rod Beck, Alan Benes and Mike Sirotka.

18) The candidates for the Rockies 5th starter's job are Darren Oliver, Scott Elarton and Shawn Chacon. Meanwhile, Brian Fuentes is the only lefty who's assured of a spot in the bullpen, while MGR Clint Hurdle says he'd like at least one more. Vic Darensbourg may be the leading candidate to make the team.

19) The Phillies re-signed P Carlos Silva to a 1 year, $310,000 contract, which will pay him $160,000 if he's in the minors.

Silva had a 3.21 ERA/5 RSAA in 68 games as a 23 year old rookie in 2002.

[KCBOOMER]

Originally posted by nyy26wc
1) A's SS Miguel Tejada .... who not only wasn't even really the most valuable one on his own team, and it's arguable whether he was even the most valuable on the left side of his own infield, is eligible for free agency after the 2003 season.

All this is true but very few teams wouldn't be better off if they had him instead of what they have at SS. I was a little surprised that Tejada's numbers to date say he is just barely above average as an offensive player. I guess I have been watching too much SportsCenter.