Yardbarker: Miguel Tejada

Starting Pitcher: Randy Wolf casualty of Astros' circumstances

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:07:42 -0500

The Hot Stove Blog reports that there have been rumblings about the Astros' payroll situation this offseason. General Manager Ed Wade confirmed suspicions on Friday.

Due to payroll problems, Houston won't "move forward" in negotiations with free-agent left-hander Randy Wolf, Wade told the Houston Chronicle. Wade was unable to be reached for comment by MLB.com. In light of the nation's economic troubles, the Astros are one of several teams treading softly in free agency.

The club's top market priorities have been to re-sign Wolf and setup man Doug Brocail. While this report is concerning, Wade said Houston is still interested in Wolf. The Astros previously made offers to both pitchers.

Ty Wigginton, Jose Valverde and Miguel Tejada's names have come up as potential trade bait, but nothing has gained steam yet, at least publicly.

Wolf, 32, was a key cog in Houston's second-half surge last season. He went 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts after being acquired from San Diego.

The Mets appear to be interested in Jose Valverde, who can fill a void at closer. The only thing with that is he becomes a free agent at the end of the year and the Mets will only look to get him cheap throught trade. Minaya has said in the past, he will not trade top prospects to get someone who will be a free agent at season's end.

I would love to see the Mets get Ty Wigginton back in a Mets uniform. He is a good utility player that plays LF, 2B, 3B, 1B and can hit left handers. He also plays with intensity that the Mets lack at this point.. He is not the greatest fielder in the world, but who cares.

The Mets also have interest in Randy Wolf and view him as someone who can replace Oliver Perez, if his price don't drop.

The Orioles Need Some Noise

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:32:44 -0500

Last offseason, the Baltimore Orioles traded away SP Erik Bedard and SS Miguel Tejada in a attempt to rebuild the once proud franchise back into respectability. After years of aging players and foolish contracts, it appeared as though the Orioles turned a corner last offseason towards youth and ...

Throwing One Under The Bus...

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:34:06 -0500

Over the past few days, a lot of people have reacted in let's say in a negative fashion -- especially on the internet and on sports talk radio -- as to what the Orioles are doing so far with the free agent market. Of course, the man at the top -- Andy MacPhail -- is getting the brunt of the ...

Why Not Lee...

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:43:53 -0500

The Mets are said to be in the market for a right handed power bat who can play left field but the market for such a player is extremely dry. However; just recently it was reported that the Astros may look to move Carlos Lee as a cost cutting measure.

Houston. All you hear about the Astros is ...

Astros Selling off Lee, Valverde, and Tejada

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:06:22 -0500

The Astros must be feeling a little choked by some big salaries. Apparently, as written in the Boston Globe, they are looking to sell off Carlos Lee, Miguel Tejada, and Jose Valverde. That would save Houston $74 million from Lee's salary alone. I do not want, nor do I think Carlos Lee will be pursued by the Mets. He is 32 years old, and yes he is very good. However, he has had his share of injuries and $74 million dollars is a lot of money and 4 years is a long time. Tejada doesn't fit, no I do not think he would be a good second baseman. I am not sold on Valverde as a Mets closer either. Closing in Arizona or Houston is one thing, NYC is another. He just does not seem like a New York kind of guy. In short, Omar stay away from Houston unless you hear about a guy named Roy being made available.

Astros Looking To Dump Payroll?

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:24:59 -0500

According to the Boston Globe, the Astros are looking to clear some payroll and have made Jose Valverde and Miguel Tejada available. While teams probably have more interest in Lance Berkman or Roy Oswalt, both Tejada and Valverde are solid players who might not cost as much as people think. Tejada will be coming into a contract year and has already made it clear that he is preparing for a big year.A

Tejada and Valverde's total salary for 2009 will come out close to 22 million dollars (assuming Valverde's 2009 salary is around 7-8 million), just four million more than Ordonez's 2009 salary. If the Astros traded Tejada and Valverde to the Tigers for Ordonez and a top prospect or two, they would dump nearly four million dollars, maybe even more if the Tigers take Valverde to arbitration. Another possibility for the Astros would be to acquire a package around Nate Robertson, Dusty Ryan, and other top prospects. While the Tigers are not looking to give up several top prospects for the second straight year, they could consider a small package around a major leaguer to help make them better.A

At this point, Tejada looks more like a trade deadline acquisition than an offseason trade acquisition.A

This story was approved by MLB Rumors.

Stros cutting cost - Valverde...

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:47:07 -0500

If nothing else; if the Astros actively shop closer Jose Valverde it will assure the Mets of obtaining a closer and more then likely the closer they want. At this point there are more closers on the market then teams looking for one and the Mets appear to be the only Big market team in the ...

Damn, Lying Dominicans

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:06:27 -0500

Long before Miguel Tejada made headlines for blowing up during an ESPN interview over suspicious questions about his age, fellow Dominican shortstop Andres Santana was engaged in similar shenanigans. While his 1990 Bowman Card lists him as being born on 3-19-68, numerous baseball reference sites actually list him as being born 2-5-68. Regardless, of his age, he sucked.

Will Miguel Tejada have value in '09?

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:39:09 -0500

A look at Miguel Tejada and if he will be valuable to fantasy owners in 2009

National League Gold Glove Winners

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:06:09 -0500

Bill’s NL Gold Glove Predictions

The National League was actually harder to chose than the other league because there were not as many incumbents who were deemed so much better than their counterparts this year. (Note: these awards were given out to the best player at each single position, including the three outfield positions which were divided into players who played most of their games at a certain spot.)

First Base

Adrian Gonzalez, San Diego Padres

Gonzalez played in every game this season except for one and only committed six errors in 1442 chances. He is tied for the league lead in fielding percentage and was involved in the second most double plays. He has a good range factor and a decent zone rating while being right up there in assists and putouts. He wins this award in a close race with many others in the running, but he is just slightly better then the others.

Others who were considered: Lance Berkman of the Houston Astros and Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Second Base

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies

Even though Utley is third in fielding percentage, .006 behind the leader, he played in 19 more games than Brandon Phillips, who has the best fielding percentage. He had more total chances by far than any other second baseman (110 more than Phillips who came in second). Perhaps because of this he was first in putouts and assists and second in double plays, just two behind the leader. He also has the best range factor and zone rating amount those eligible for the award.

Others who were considered: Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds and Freddy Sanchez of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Third Base

Troy Glaus, St. Louis Cardinals

Glaus did by no means run away with this award, but the facts that he has a better fielding percentage, range factor and one of the best zone ratings among those at this position earned him the award. He had seven errors in 385 chances while helping to turn 27 double plays. His competition was very close though, although he is .008 in front of everyone else in fielding percentage.

Others who were considered: Kevin Kouzmanoff of the San Diego Padres and Pedro Feliz of the Philadelphia Phillies. (Even though Feliz only started 106 games, he was given consideration because of the good percentages he and because of his league leading zone rating. The New York Mets' David Wright would have been next on the list.)

Shortstop

Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies

Rollins had another good season at shortstop, putting up the best fielding percentage in the league by .005 and only committing seven errors in 593 chances. He is second in putouts and just barely second (by .001) in zone rating while coming in third in range factor. While he didn't play in as many games as some of the other eligible players (132), there was not a huge discrepancy.

Others who were considered: Miguel Tejada of the Houston Astros and Cesar Izturis of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Left Field

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

Not committing an error all season long in 284 chances will get you the gold glove. He was also second in assists and first in range factor. While he didn't start any double plays, he converted more putouts than anyone else in the league. This was one of the fairly easy selections as the person who is second in fielding percentage, Carlos Lee at .995, played in 39 fewer games than Braun.

Others who were considered: Pat Burrell of the Philadelphia Phillies and Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies.

Center Field

Nate McLouth, Pittsburgh Pirates

At least one good thing will come from another Pirates' losing season with McLouth grabbing this award. McLouth played in the second most innings of any center fielder while boasting the best fielding percentage at .997. The only person to match that was Mike Cameron who played in 30 fewer games. McLouth also had five assists and started one double play with 380 putouts. His range factor is one of the best in the game and flying under the radar for the entire season probably helps him.

Others who were considered: Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies and Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets.

Right Field

Hunter Pence, Houston Astros

Pence committed just one error all season long in 156 games and 357 chances. He had an incredible 16 assists and 340 putouts to lead the league in both categories. While he is second in the league in fielding percentage at .997, the leader (Andre Ethier) only started 102 games in right field. Pence also has a good range factor for his position and a decent zone rating.

Others who were considered: Jeff Francoeur of the Atlanta Braves and Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pitcher

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

While there were a number of pitchers with a perfect fielding percentage and perfect zone rating, Cain had the most total chances and is tied for the most double plays of these pitchers. He also had 24 assists and 14 putouts. While this race is hard to call, pitchers do show their skill when they have to turn a double play so that helps Cain win the award.

Others who were considered: Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds and Kyle Lohse of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Catcher

Bengie Molina, San Francisco Giants

While Chris Snyder did not commit an error at this position, he only played in 112 games, which hurts his chances. Molina played in 136 while throwing out a better percentage of base runners (.346 to .310) than Snyder. He also carries a perfect zone rating and was part of nine double plays which is second in the league.

Others who were considered: Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs and Jason Kendall of the Milwaukee Brewers.

E:60 Has Another Athlete Walk Out During An Interview

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:51:41 -0500

This past Summer, E:60 got some attention for railroading Miguel Tejada about his real age, and the Astro walked off set. Well yesterday the show featured an interview with UFC fighter and ex-Pro Wrestler, Brock Lesner, and he also decided to end things early. The show did an entire piece on the guy and then during the one-on-one portion, ESPN correspondent Tom Farrey decides to delve into steroid talk. Watch what goes down at around the :20 mark....

I still think E:60 is a bit cheesy, but they are definitely throwing out some interesting stories as of late. The problem with the Tejada interview was that it was a complete setup. Lesnar on the other hand should have at least been expecting this line of questioning, and to walk out when he could have just said he'd never tested positive is a bit sketchy.

Brock Lesnar Storms Out of ESPN Interview When Subject Turns to Steroids (Fanhouse)

Top 200 Players of All Time: Through 81st

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:10:47 -0500

The Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame continues to name the Top 200 Players of all Time. Bernie Williams and Miguel Tejada are honored; Luis Gonzalez is named overrated; and David Ortiz is uncomfortably compared to Mo Vaughn. Plus much more!

Game 148 Thread / Cubs @ Astros (kinda) 2 of 2

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:29:14 -0500

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP	*Ted Lilly	SP	Brian Moehler
	14-9, 4.29, 166 K, 60 BB, 184.2 IP		11-6, 4.16, 76 K, 33 BB, 138.1 IP

LF	Alfonso Soriano	CF	Reggie Abercrombie
2B	*Mike Fontenot	2B	Mark Loretta
1B	Derrek Lee	SS	Miguel Tejada
3B	Aramis Ramirez	1B	#Lance Berkman
RF	*Micah Hoffpauir	RF	Hunter Pence
C	Geovany Soto	3B	Jose Castillo
CF	*Jim Edmonds	LF	*Darin Erstad
SS	Ronny Cedeno	C	Humberto Quintero
P	*Ted Lilly	P	Brian Moehler

This sure is a tough turn-around. It's like partying all night, hooking up with a few perfect 10 models and then having to drag your ass back to your job the next morning. Only your job is located in a city that smells either like fermenting yeast or a tannery depending on which way the wind blows (true story, that is how Milwaukee smells).

Cubs go for the sweep (I guess) with Ted "Knockout" Lilly on the mound. The only way to top last night's game is either a perfect game or a four homer game by one of our hitters. I expect nothing less.

Game 147 Thread / Cubs @ Astros (kinda), (1 of 2)

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:38:52 -0500

Game Chat | Press Pass | BR Preview

SP	Carlos Zambrano	SP	*Randy Wolf
	13-5, 3.58, 117 K, 64 BB, 173.1 IP		10-11, 4.45, 146 K, 67 BB, 174 IP

LF	Alfonso Soriano	LF	*Darin Erstad
SS	Ryan Theriot	CF	*Michael Bourn
1B	Derrek Lee	SS	Miguel Tejada
3B	Aramis Ramirez	1B	#Lance Berkman
C	Geovany Soto	3B	#Geoff Blum
RF	Mark DeRosa	RF	Hunter Pence
CF	Reed Johnson	2B	*David Newhan
2B	Ronny Cedeno	C	Humberto Quintero
P	#Carlos Zambrano	P	*Randy Wolf

About 72 hours and one hurricane ago, the Cubs held on to beat the Cardinals, 3-2, and extend their NL Central lead over the Brewers to 5 1/2 games. As the Cubs and Astros take the field tonight at Miller Park, where they have been driven by Hurricane Ike, the Cubs' lead is 6 1/2, and the Brewers are desperately trying to hold off the Phillies and Astros for the Wild Card lead.

The Astros, who must surely have many other things on their minds right now besides baseball, have won six in a row and 14 of their last 15 to claw back into post-season contention. (They were 11 games behind the Brewers as recently as 8/27.) One of the highlights of the hot streak, and one of the lowlights of the Cubs season, was the three-game sweep the Astros pulled off at Wrigley, beginning on Labor Day. Randy Wolf, tonight's Houston starter, was the winning pitcher in the series finale, throwing a complete game shutout in one of the better efforts of his career.

Carlos Zambrano returns to action tonight, having been sent to the sidelines 12 days ago with shoulder tendinitis. Z's last start, against this same Houston club in that same nasty series at Wrigley Field, only lasted five innings before he asked to come out.

Funny pre-game note via Gordon Wittenmyer's Twitter feed:

Astros sticking it to Cubs by every means possible -- including forcing the less familiar, bigger, nicer home clubhouse on them.

Rob G. Update: Apologies for the server crash or whatever it was this afternoon...should be fixed now.

What Could Have Been: Luke Scott

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:03:56 -0500

Luke Scott
Baltimore Orioles
Outfieler
6'1" 200
4/8/1979
B/T: L/R
Acquired: 2001 Draft, 9th Round
How he got away: Claimed by Baltimore off Waivers in January, 2007

Its rather interesting how we provided the Houston Astros with two starting outfielders at some point these past few years. Luke Scott is pretty much ripping it up for Baltimore this year after coming over in the Miguel Tejada trade. Luke hit for the cycle in his rookie year with the Astros and he has some pop in the bat. In just his second full year in the majors as a starter, Scott is hitting .270 with over 20 home runs. He'll surely pass his career high in RBIs and he's carrying a career OBP well over .360.

So, the kicker and why we gave him away.

Jeroime Roberterson.................. OH MAN

Yes Jeroime Robertson, who hasn't pitched in the majors since 2004, with the Tribe.

Bru...tal..

You think we could use a corner outfielder like Scott last year or this year? You bet we could.. Granted, Choo looks good and Francisco is alright, but Scott is showing he can do it.

Not onlt that.. Luke is a barber, an English teacher and student of the game.

This one hurts.. Scott is a good player, that can realistically fit in our outfield.. Corner bat, with some pop and gets on base. He would fit in fine with what we have now.

Jeriome Robertson.. GIVE ME A BREAK.. UGH!