In the midst of a personal offseason to rival those of J.P. Ricciardi and Omar Minaya, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal writes that the Phillies have entered the race for Miguel Tejada.
The Phillies have proposed an Abreu-for-Tejada exchange with the intention of playing Tejada at third base. The Orioles want pitching in addition to Abreu, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations, raising the possibility of an expanded deal.
If the Phillies acquired Tejada, they would gain the option of flipping him for a top-of-the-rotation starter, either in a three-way trade or separate deal; the Cubs, for example, have shown a willingness to trade right-hander Mark Prior for Tejada, but not Abreu. However, the Cubs would want a starting pitcher back for Prior ” they’ve asked the Orioles for left-hander Erik Bedard – and the Phillies probably lack the depth to make that type of move
Meanwhile, Ramirez’s agent, Greg Genske, told FOXSports.com Thursday night that Ramirez would consider waiving his no-trade clause for the Orioles or another team, discounting Ramirez’s statement to ESPNDeportes.com that he was “staying in Boston.”
The Tejada-for-Ramirez talks, while stalled, are not dead, sources say. The same is true of the talks between the Cubs and Orioles regarding Tejada, which also are stalemated but could revive quickly. Other teams, such as the Angels and Tigers, also could be in the mix.