AJWatson3
December-14th-2003, 06:38 PM
we got him locked up for six years!!!
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1686370
Sunday, December 14, 2003
ESPN.com news services
NEW ORLEANS -- Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada agreed Sunday night to a six-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, leaving the Oakland Athletics for a team trying to rebuild. The deal is worth $72 million, according to contract information obtained by The Associated Press. Tejada must pass a physical to finalize the contract. "Miguel continues the tradition of great Orioles shortstops. The cornerstone of the Orioles through the years has been our shortstops, and he certainly fits in that mold," vice president Mike Flanagan said. The deal was the longest and richest of this offseason, though the Orioles still have more money to spend. Free agents Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez and Javy Lopez also have drawn Baltimore's attention. Tejada, 27, hit .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs in 2002 to help the A's win 103 games and the AL West. After the season, he won the MVP honor. But last year he slumped to a .278 average with 27 homers and 106 RBIs, striking out 65 times and drawing 53 walks. The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers had also expressed interest.
"How many chances do you get to add an MVP-caliber player to your club who wants to be there for a long time?" new Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said.
Tejada receives a $12 million signing bonus, with $4 million payable in 2004 and $2 million each in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011. He receives yearly salaries of $3 million in 2004, $9 million in 2005, $10 million in 2006, $12 million in 2007, $13 million in 2008 and $13 million in 2009. Tejada made $5 million last season and $3.65 million in 2002.
The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers had also expressed interest in Tejada. But Baltimore saw him as a key to improving its lot in the AL East, where it has finished next-to-last for six consecutive years, trailing the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston and New York have each made major moves this winter, and the Blue Jays have made several smaller moves to improve their pitching.
"You can't play dumb to the surroundings of what's going on around you," Mazzilli said. "But we have to think about our team."
The Orioles finished with just 71 wins in 2003 and were 30 games behind the AL East Division champion New York Yankees and 24 games in back of the wild card winning Boston Red Sox -- another division rival. With Toronto and Tampa Bay also addressing key needs this offseason, Baltimore was in danger of falling to the bottom of baseball's deepest division.
Information from SportsTicker and the Associated Press was used in this report
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1686370
Sunday, December 14, 2003
ESPN.com news services
NEW ORLEANS -- Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada agreed Sunday night to a six-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles, leaving the Oakland Athletics for a team trying to rebuild. The deal is worth $72 million, according to contract information obtained by The Associated Press. Tejada must pass a physical to finalize the contract. "Miguel continues the tradition of great Orioles shortstops. The cornerstone of the Orioles through the years has been our shortstops, and he certainly fits in that mold," vice president Mike Flanagan said. The deal was the longest and richest of this offseason, though the Orioles still have more money to spend. Free agents Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez and Javy Lopez also have drawn Baltimore's attention. Tejada, 27, hit .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs in 2002 to help the A's win 103 games and the AL West. After the season, he won the MVP honor. But last year he slumped to a .278 average with 27 homers and 106 RBIs, striking out 65 times and drawing 53 walks. The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers had also expressed interest.
"How many chances do you get to add an MVP-caliber player to your club who wants to be there for a long time?" new Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said.
Tejada receives a $12 million signing bonus, with $4 million payable in 2004 and $2 million each in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011. He receives yearly salaries of $3 million in 2004, $9 million in 2005, $10 million in 2006, $12 million in 2007, $13 million in 2008 and $13 million in 2009. Tejada made $5 million last season and $3.65 million in 2002.
The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers had also expressed interest in Tejada. But Baltimore saw him as a key to improving its lot in the AL East, where it has finished next-to-last for six consecutive years, trailing the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston and New York have each made major moves this winter, and the Blue Jays have made several smaller moves to improve their pitching.
"You can't play dumb to the surroundings of what's going on around you," Mazzilli said. "But we have to think about our team."
The Orioles finished with just 71 wins in 2003 and were 30 games behind the AL East Division champion New York Yankees and 24 games in back of the wild card winning Boston Red Sox -- another division rival. With Toronto and Tampa Bay also addressing key needs this offseason, Baltimore was in danger of falling to the bottom of baseball's deepest division.
Information from SportsTicker and the Associated Press was used in this report