tejada backs away

and who could blame him? in an interview published today, tejada all but groveled for forgiveness from oriole fans and dropped the notion of going elsewhere. perhaps he and his agent figured out that he would never be traded to boston, where he was rumored to desire to go. whatever the reasoning, the chances of the cubs coming across tejada now at any price seem vastly lower. the orioles are under no obligation to trade tejada, and this page is unsure as to what it would take to get him away from baltimore -- but it would surely be mark prior and probably some prospects too.

it wouldn't hurt jim hendry to pitch that package anyway -- in my view, prior cannot be relied upon, despite his unlimited potential, to be a building block of any consistently successful franchise because of his fragility. and the prospects that might be included -- pie, cedeno, even hill -- don't seem like any probable angst-inspiring loss (a la lou brock), especially in trade for a future hall-of-fame shortstop in his prime and signed for four more years below his market value.

but, given that tejada cannot force a deal and is now disavowing wanting one, jim hendry had best concentrate his efforts on filling the gaping holes in right field and shortstop that still remain, not to mention the potential continuing mediocrity of the starting rotation. the hyperventilation that followed tejada's original proclomation throughout cubdom is symbol enough of the desperation that permeates the cubs situation in 2006 in the aftermath of losing furcal.