Tejada dealt to Padres
Say “Adios!” to Miguel Tejada.
The Orioles, making the first of what could be several moves before Saturday’s 4 p.m. non-waiver trading deadline, shipped the 36-year-old Tejada and cash to the San Diego Padres on Thursday.
The deal, which brings minor league right-hander Wynn Pelzer to the Orioles, was briefly delayed while the commissioner’s office gave it a stamp of approval. That usually means the sum of money going from one team to another – in this case, from Baltimore to San Diego to help offset Tejada’s salary – was in excess of $1 million and needed approval.
About $2.2 million remains on the one-year $6 million deal Tejada signed in the offseason, reuniting him with the Orioles for a second tour of duty. Tejada moved from shortstop to third base and hit .269 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs in 97 games. He slowly adapted to his new position, but showed a propensity for making ill-advised throws instead of eating ground balls.
The 24-year-old Pelzer is a power pitcher with a mid-90s fastball and a decent slider. He was 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA in 22 games, including 18 starts, for Double-A San Antonio. Though Pelzer has been used regularly as a starting pitcher, some scouts project him to be a power arm at the back end of the bullpen, perhaps even a closer.
In a related development, third baseman Josh Bell was scratched from the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk’s game Thursday, meaning he’s likely headed to Kansas City to take over third base for the Orioles.
Posted July 29, 2010 at 7:05 p.m.
