How much for Tejada?

A former Bulls GM used to call sportswriters "fiction-writers". I hope today's articles are more than just fiction. Jim Hendry's interest in Miggy Tejada was chronicled in a few of the Chicagoland Sunday papers this morning:

Chicago Sun-Times: Cubs have interest in Orioles' Tejada by Mike Kiley.
Daily Herald: Cubs ready to throw their caps into Tejada derby by Bruce Miles.

Of course, what would a Cub rumor be without the Village Idiot chiming in? In today's Sun-Times: Cubs need this face to match Sox' pace by Jay Mariotti. What planet is this guy on?

Out in Baltimore, the O's are trying to salvage their relationship with Miggy. Still the Cubs are mentioned in today's Baltimore Sun. The Washington Post has the Cubs offering Mark Prior or Kerry Wood for Tejada. If that's what it takes, sure! Rick Maese with the Baltimore Sun writes a column about Tejada's "Awkward dance" with the O's brass.

So the rumors will continue to fly around here for awhile. I would really be surprised if there were a conclusion to the Tejada turmoil anytime soon. If Mike Flanagan's gonna trade his teams best bargaining chip he's not gonna take the Cubs garbage (I think that includes a broken down right-handed starting pitcher from Texas). If Hendry wants Tejada he'll have to trade some of the talent that he has called untouchable.

We can always hope, right. A few years back Red Sox fans were irate when the team botched the deal that would have sent A-Rod to Boston. Come October they were laughing as they knocked A-Rod and the Yankees out of the ALCS. Maybe the Furcal blunder that we cursed a week ago will be a blessing for the Northside. A deal for Tejada would sure make it look that way.

After the Pierre deal, does Jim Hendry have enough good chips left to trade for a talent like Tejada? The Cubs system does not have one single talent like an Andy Marte. They seem to still have a number of prospects that we're told other teams covet. Hill, Pie, Marshall, Dopirak, Cedeno, Murton, Guzman and others are often discussed as Hendry's best.

I'd say the ball is still in the Orioles court. They don't have to trade Tejada. He's under contract. Still, this could be an opportunity for Flanagan to cut ties with the Tejada contract. He could use that money to go and get some arms for Leo Mazzone. It looks like Flanagan will decide what the price of playing poker is. We'll see if Hendry's in or out.