Padres Make Puzzling Move, Acquire Miguel Tejada From Orioles

There are moves I understand, like the Jorge Cantu trade we discussed earlier. But then are trades I really don’t understand, like the one that happened between the San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles.

The Padres acquired 3B Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles for minor league pitcher Wynn Pelzer (what an awesome name). The Orioles and Padres will split the remaining $2.2 million remaining on Tejada’s one-year deal.

I obviously get why the Orioles made the trade, but the Padres? Not so much.

I have Tejada on my fantasy team this year, so I know how useless he has been offensively. Tejada was hitting .269/.308/.362 with seven HRs and 16 doubles in 401 ABs for the Orioles.

And those numbers were in a hitter’s ballpark.

How is Tejada going to fare playing in Petco Park, which is the death blow for mortal hitters? Not only is Tejada’s offensive most likely to suffer playing in San Diego, but he makes the Padres’ defense worse.

It’s expected that the Padres will move current 3B Chase Headley back to the outfield, where he played in 2008 and 2009, and keep Tejada at third. Headley in the outfield is not very good. Headley at third on the other hand, is very good.

Headley ranks third amongst all third basemen with a 7.9 UZR. Tejada is near the bottom with a -4.6 mark. Even if the Padres kept Headley at third and moved Tejada to short, I still don’t get the move.

Tejada is not even having a better year than current shortstop Jerry Hairston Jr., who is hitting .252/.308/.354 with seven HRs. Sound familiar?

Why give up your seventh-best prospect for a guy who can’t help your team at all? I don’t get it. Pelzer throws in the mid-90s and could be the Orioles closer of the future.

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