Reality Based Community

When the news broke yesterday that Miguel Tejada announced he wanted out of Baltimore, a tone of hope was generated that he could land with the Cubs. There are two scenarios being played out by Cubs fans as to what has to happen for the Cubs to get Tejada.

Option A is to trade the bulk of the high ceiling prospects in their farm system. Basically, the O's might give up Miggy in exchange for Ronny Cedeno, Jerome Williams, Felix Pie and one other high ceiling prospect. What's amusing about this scenario is that it correctly diagnoses Jim Hendry's failing to sign Tejada in 2003 as now resulting in the complete mortgage of the team's future.

Didn't someone just recently say something similar? That the cost of not signing Tejada actually exceeded the cost of signing him?

Then, there is the other side of Cubdumb. They seem to think that by trading all their no-longer-favorite players who have well known names you can land Tejada. I mean, Kerry Wood, Rich Hill and Korey Patterson would get the deal done, right? Wood's a stud (well, he was for a day in 1998 and for two months in 2003). Korey is salvageable. And Hill, albeit nearly 26 and with only 1 good pitch is a hot-in-demand prospect (we know this because Jim Hendry said he's nearly untouchable).

Let's say the people throwing these ideas around have as much reality in them as the Flat Earth Society members.

Landing Tejada could right the foundering Cubs. He'd probably like it here with Domincan buddies A Ram and Neifi. He'd also give the Cubs a huge top of the lineup. Think about:

Pierre
Tejada
Lee
A Ram
RF (to be determined)
Murton
Barrett/Blanco
Neifi/Jerry Jr. (Neifi is survivable in the 8-hole)

All that's needed here is a huge gamble with the top 4 or 5 names on the Cubs high prospect list. The payoff would be an offensive team worthy of playoff talk.

The problem is, why would Baltimore do this? The only possible way they would is if they concede the AL East and the Wild Card to the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays for 2 years and start planning for 2008. Are they really in Marlin Mode?

I don't think so. I think Miggy stays put or goes to Boston somehow.

What funny is a lambasting this page has received for bringing up Tejada's name recently in a reminder of the Cubs incompetence and short sightedness. "Let it go," was the response.

Looks like it boomeranged on its own.