Tejada Tejada
I generally don't comment on rumors, but this one just won't go away.
To Orioles:
Mark Prior
Rich Hill
Corey Patterson
To Cubs:
Miguel Tejada
Eric Bedard
You might be surprised to find that I actually like this deal. I don't think the Cubs lineup, as currently constructed, is going to contend for crap this year. I really don't. Jim Hendry knows that if he doesn't get something done this year, he's out of here. We're talkin NLCS at a minimum or don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-your-way-out. What's that you say? How can you get rid of golden-armed Mark Prior? The man with 300 wins, multiple Cy Youngs, and a sure-fire Hall of Fame plaque in his future? Well, it certainly would be tough, but I'm resigned to the fact that Prior is doomed with the Cubs. He's been on the DL five times since 2002. Five! Yes, a few of those injuries were flukes, like the liner off the elbow and running into Marcus Giles. But the others were not. (I blame Bruce Kimm and Dusty Baker for early over-use.) For 2005, it all comes down to one thing. Will the Cubs be better off with Tejada (a former MVP) and Bedard (a fine young left-hander himself) than with Prior and Neifi Perez? I think there's no question that they'd be better in the short term. The difference between Prior and Bedard is like the difference between Prior and Matt Clement, and with Prior's injury history, Bedard might even end up outperforming Prior. The difference between Neifi and Tejada is, well, the difference between Neifi and Tejada. (I'm thinking 10 full wins, for starters.) What about Rich Hill and Corey Patterson? Well, Patterson we'd give away for free right now if we could, and Hill is a nice looking prospect. He's about to turn 26, though, and big-time pitchers usually have 30-60 wins at this point, so he's no great loss.
So yes, I'd trade Prior. It'd really hurt to see him go on to fulfill his potential as the next Tom Seaver, but if this move won the North Siders a championship, I wouldn't look back.