Quick Hits; Tejada, the Yankees & Patterson

Well, again, not much happened at the winter meetings today with this team.

As I see it, the two biggest names who could possibly be traded are Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard.

According to the Sun, Tejada is drawing scant interest and it may or may not mean anything, but it looks like a lot of GM's are taking a little bit of caution and taking a look at all angles.

"I don't think that [Tejada] is on the front burner for a lot of clubs," one American League general manager said yesterday.

I would not read too much into the quote as it is only November, and there's still plenty of time for a deal to happen.

I expect for Miguel to be dealt as I honestly just think he needs a change of scenery, and he's still a heck of producer at the plate. His fielding; however, does not leave a lot to be desired.

A few bloggers, especially Ms. Mullen and Jason from My Baseball Bias have wondered about Tejada to New York. In light of the Rodriguez drama, he would be good fit for the Yankees, but I did not think the Orioles would ever deal with the Bronx Bombers, although Baltimore did trade for Jaret Wright last off-season.

I could be wrong.

According to the Baltimore Sun:

Though it's much too early to fit Miguel Tejada for pinstripes, it's not entirely out of the question either. Seeking a potential replacement for free agent third baseman Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees have some interest in the Orioles' star infielder, according to an industry source.

How much interest they have, and how willing the Orioles will be to trade their most accomplished player to a division rival remains to be seen. One of several reasons the Orioles balked at trading Tejada to the Boston Red Sox after the 2005 season was because some in the organization, including owner Peter Angelos, were hesitant to help out a division rival.

I envision Miguel being traded, but I don't see him dealt to New York. I see him being sent outside the division or to the NL. Furthermore, if I were MacPhail, I would want a piece of the Yankees' young pitching, plus one of their young ballplayers and I'm not sure that Brian Cashman would be willing to part with his youngsters or prospects.

Concerning Bedard, I could see him being dealt if the price were right; however, I'd try real hard to sign him to a long-term contract considering the scarcity of left-handed pitchers, especially good ones.

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Meanwhile, the Orioles have not talked to Corey Patterson. Personally, I see him not being re-signed unless it is a last resort. He's a demon on the base paths, and plays incredible defense; however, he has been way too inconsistent at the plate, and although he finished 2007 strong before his injury, his numbers were nothing to write home about.

I'd like to see the Orioles look at more options before bringing him back. He's surely not lived up to his promise since being drafted, and at his age, who knows if he'll get better.

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Sorry about the lack of posts, I have been busy the past week dealing with other issues and as well, I am working on an article for another publication this week.