After bidding goodbye to Juan Uribe, the Giants immediately
jumped to replace him with another upbeat, battle-tested shortstop.
Miguel Tejada, who once energized the A’s with his all-out style,
is returning to the Bay Area after agreeing to a one-year contract
with the Giants on Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy confirmed to Bay
Area News Group.
SAN JOSE
After bidding goodbye to Juan Uribe, the Giants immediately jumped to replace him with another upbeat, battle-tested shortstop.
Miguel Tejada, who once energized the A’s with his all-out style, is returning to the Bay Area after agreeing to a one-year contract with the Giants on Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy confirmed to Bay Area News Group.
Tejada will make $6.5 million, according to ESPN Deportes, which was first to report the agreement.
Tejada, 36, hit .269 with a .312 on-base percentage and 15 home runs last year, beginning it as the third baseman in Baltimore; he played shortstop after the San Diego Padres acquired him for the stretch drive.
Bochy plans for Tejada to be his everyday shortstop, saying he saw enough in September to believe the veteran still could handle the position despite limited range.
“I hadn’t seen him in a while, but in San Diego, I thought he was impressive,” Bochy said. “He played every day, he swung the bat, and he convinced me he could still play shortstop.
“Juan was such a big contributor, but this certainly softens the blow. Miggy is a similar guy in a lot of ways. He’s very enthusiastic, good in the clubhouse and very talented.”
The Giants remain hopeful that Pablo Sandoval will have a productive offseason and reclaim third base, with Mark DeRosa serving as a fallback. Sandoval already had dropped more than 10 pounds since the World Series, although he hadn’t been weighed post-Thanksgiving dinner.
Tejada will call the Bay Area home for the first time since 2003, when he played the last of his seven seasons for the A’s. He was the AL Most Valuable Player in 2002 and has remained a durable, productive presence in the fading light of his career.
The Giants tried hard to re-sign Uribe, whose three-year, $21 million contract with the Dodgers became official Tuesday. GM Brian Sabean also had been active in trade talks for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett before the front office decided to go with Tejada, instead.
“I thank Juan for what he did to help us win the World Series,” Bochy said. “He was such a good teammate, and we’ll miss him. He’s a guy I could play anywhere, and even though he slowed down in the second half, he found a way to get some huge hits.”
The Giants will pursue a backup shortstop to compete with Emmanuel Burriss this spring. But they aren’t expected to rekindle talks for Bartlett or any of the other front-line shortstops on the trade market.
The Giants haven’t closed the door on bringing back Edgar Renteria, their World Series MVP. But he has said he’d rather end his career with the St. Louis Cardinals or Florida Marlins.
Like Uribe, Tejada is a recognized leader, he is sure-handed despite limited range, he provides steady if not heavy right-handed power, and he is known to perform in the clutch.
The notable downsides: Tejada is five years older than Uribe, he is a poor on-base presence who seldom walks, and he is a station-to-station runner. Tejada also has led his league in hitting ground-ball double plays in five of the past seven seasons. He’ll fit in just fine with the Giants, who grounded into 158 double plays last year to break a 71-year-old franchise record. Sandoval led the NL with 26 while Uribe had 20.
It’s looking as if the Giants will put off that younger, more athletic lineup for another season, but at least Tejada can be counted upon for his durability. He has played all 162 games in five of his 13 full major league seasons, and appeared in 156 games last year.
— Story by Andrew Baggarly, San Jose Mercury News
