[外電] Mailbag: Is Tejada headed west?
From http://0rz.tw/993oz
Do you feel that the trade of shortstop Orlando Cabrera by the Angels sets up a
possible move by Miguel Tejada to the West Coast? If so, what do you feel the
Orioles would try to get in return?
The rumor mill is in high gear regarding Tejada to the West Coast, and it seems
that the Dodgers might also be interested in acquiring his services. And as the
old adage goes, where there's smoke, there's fire. Tejada has been coveted by
the Angels for multiple seasons, and the time finally feels right for both
teams to circle each other and make a deal.
The Angels and Dodgers are also reportedly interested in four-time All-Star
Miguel Cabrera, the centerpiece of the Florida Marlins who will almost
certainly be traded this offseason. Cabrera is regarded as the priority for
both teams, which could leave Tejada as a contingency plan. In that respect,
Andy MacPhail's hands are tied until other deals get done.
If Tejada moves to the Angels, the Orioles would likely be interested in
acquiring prospect Brandon Wood. Wood -- a former first-round Draft pick --
played third base last season, but is regarded as a solid defender at
shortstop. Wood is a power hitter with huge strikeout rates, but he's young and
would be under contractual control for five-plus seasons.
The Angels and Orioles reportedly came close to sealing a deal for Tejada in
past seasons, and the rumored players involved were Erick Aybar and Ervin
Santana. Aybar is the favorite to take over shortstop in Los Angeles and
Santana's trade value has dropped due to a difficult year, so Wood would likely
be joined by a low-level prospect.
What's the story with the front office structure? Mike Flanagan is the general
manager, but he seems to make very few personnel decisions. What are his
responsibilities if MacPhail handles roster decisions?
Flanagan never actually held the title of general manager, even if he did make
joint personnel decisions with Jim Duquette and Jim Beattie over the last few
years. Flanagan still holds his same title -- vice president of baseball
operations -- but has been trumped by MacPhail, who ostensibly has control over
virtually everything on the field.
MacPhail, who was hired last June, is expected to hire a high-level executive
to help him run the club. It's unclear whether that executive will outrank
Flanagan, but the potential hiring alone was enough to make Duquette offer his
resignation. Flanagan is expected to stay on in an unspecified assignment, but
he'll clearly have to accept a reduced role.
MacPhail, by contrast, comes to the Orioles after successful team-building
stints with the Minnesota Twins and Chicago Cubs. He's rung up an impressive
record thus far, but in limited doses. MacPhail swooped in at the last minute
to sign draftee Matt Wieters last season, and he also snagged a return for
veteran Steve Trachsel in August.
The work's only beginning, though, and MacPhail could find himself faced with
quite a difficult task in rebuilding his team. The Orioles didn't hit for much
power last year, and they're expected to deal their cleanup hitter, Miguel
Tejada. The focus remains on young pitching, but the O's can only move forward
as swiftly as their homegrown arms develop.
When are the Orioles going to cut their losses and get rid of designated hitter
Jay Gibbons? He doesn't fit in anywhere, he can't hit or run and he is not much
on defense.
While that scouting report may seem a little overly harsh, it accurately
summarizes how Gibbons played last season. The veteran struggled offensively,
and a left shoulder injury kept him from playing the field for much of the
season. Gibbons wound up having surgery and is expected back healthy for Spring
Training.
As far his future with Baltimore, Gibbons is pretty well locked in for the next
few seasons. His contract -- which pays him $5 million through the 2009 season
-- makes him difficult to trade and extremely costly to release. The Orioles
would still be responsible for the vast majority of his salary if they let him
go, and he'd be able to play elsewhere on their dime.
The best choice for the Orioles is to bring back Gibbons and let him assume a
reserve role. If he hits, he can earn more playing time. If he doesn't, he's
just an expensive bench player inked for two more seasons. Gibbons isn't
expected to be able to play the outfield right away, which could lock him in to
the lineup as a reserve DH and first baseman.
Baltimore also has Aubrey Huff and Kevin Millar to compete for playing time at
those positions, and that logjam led to initial struggles for all three players
last season. Millar and Huff both found a hot streak as the season progressed,
but Gibbons never did. That fact -- and his resulting injury -- may have
permanently decided the pecking order at the power slots.
I see Brandon Snyder hit .380 in the Hawaii Winter League. His left shoulder
prevented him from catching, but he seems to have found a position on the
infield corners. Do you see him at Triple-A Norfolk next year?
Snyder had the same injury as Gibbons -- a torn labrum -- and exhibited the
exact recovery they'd like to see out of the veteran. Snyder is likely done as
a catcher, but he may re-establish himself as a top-flight prospect at third or
first base. Baltimore may also eventually try him at left field, just to give
him more options to get his bat in the lineup.
Snyder, who turned 21 just last week, is on a deliberate timeline. The
youngster still hasn't played for Class A Frederick, which is probably where
he'll start next season. If he succeeds, he may even get a promotion to
Double-A Bowie before the year is out. From there, he's probably at least a
year or two away from big league consideration.
The Orioles don't have much in the way of high-profile position player
prospects, but Snyder, Wieters and outfielder Nolan Reimold are working to
change that. Baltimore will also pick extremely high in next year's First-Year
Player Draft and will likely supplement its young talent base by moving some of
its high-priced veterans this winter.
--
Let's go Orioles.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 218.175.183.147
Orioles 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章