Acquiring Miguel Tejada Isn't as Bad as It May Seem for San Diego Padres

Late yesterday afternoon, reports surfaced that the Baltimore Orioles had scratched Miguel Tejada from the lineup, and that he was on the verge of being traded to the San Diego Padres. That's where all the reactions from coast-to-coast began.

I will admit that Tejada wasn't the move that I thought the Padres would make, but I will say that it's a move that should be familiar to Padres fans because it's the kind of move they've made in the past.

What I didn't expect was all the bloggers condemning the move right off the bat, even before the new acquisition had one at-bat for his new team out west.

Believe me when I tell you there will be a lot of Padres fans looking at Miguel Tejada with a questionable and judging eye. He'll be expected to put up All-Star numbers for the last three months of the season, or the trade will be labeled a failure.

I asked former Padres catcher Rob Bowen his take on the Padres acquiring Tejada, and he told me, "I love it. Gives them more versatility, veteran presence, and proven hitter. Especially with Eckstein being hurt."

Here's my problem with some of these opinions: I talked to someone yesterday who has already labeled this a bad trade, but I haven't yet gotten a response as to who he wanted instead.

Not surprising.

While these people made their point that the Padres will sacrifice something defensively by having Tejada at short or third, Tejada will give more protection to Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley in the lineup. People want to talk about this team being built on defense, yet it seems okay to leave young shortstop Everth Cabrera and his .199 average in the lineup.

Sure, you're going to sacrifice a little bit defensively, but the Padres took that risk with Kevin Kouzmanoff, who was called a "below average" third baseman by a lot of scouts. Turns out, Kouz wasn't as bad as most thought.

The Texas Rangers had the same problem that the San Diego Padres had. The Rangers had struggling first baseman Chris Davis and his sub-.200 batting average in their lineup. So, they went out and made a trade to bring in Florida Marlins infielder Jorge Cantu.

He's not as good defensively as Davis, but he brings more to the lineup.

The Padres had that problem with Cabrera, who was bringing nothing to the offense but brought a solid glove at shortstop. So, making the deal for Miguel Tejada was the right thing to do if the Padres are going to hold on to the NL West lead.

You can argue "defense" with me until you're blue in the face. However, when push comes to shove, if the Padres miss the playoffs, are you really going to say, "Well, we were the best defense in the National League?" What did that get you, pride?

Padres fans have been screaming at the top of their lungs for a "big bat" for years. They've wanted more offense and they've wanted this team to score more runs. The Padres went out and got a bat that can produce in the lineup, but it seemed like it wasn't good enough for some.

Tejada is currently hitting .269 with seven home runs and 39 runs batted in, but what concerns me are the two things the Padres need the most. Tejada is hitting .223 with runners in scoring position and is hitting .198 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

The Padres hold the slimmest of margins over the San Francisco Giants, and while Padres pitchers have held this team together for the most part, the team needed to find someone who brings a little more to the offense.

If he can provide a spark to the lineup and force pitchers to pitch around him to get to Headley or even Adrian Gonzalez, then he's done his job.

He is still Miguel Tejada, and while he doesn't have the same power he had early in his career, he can still do some damage to any pitcher in the big leagues.

He's going to be a good addition down the stretch for this team. Before fans condemn this move, give him a chance to show what he can do. Then, we'll see how you feel. In the meantime, you're going to have to sacrifice something to get something—it's how the trade deadline works.

You're not always going to get your Gold Glove-caliber defender who is also a 20- to 30-plus home run hitter. There aren't that many guys out there who are available.

Tejada should make his debut tonight for the San Diego Padres against the Florida Marlins. Tonight should be a telling sign of how much he helps this team and what he brings to the lineup.

The Miguel Tejada era has begun. Like it or hate it, I still believe he'll help this team more than he'll hurt it.