Giants Agree to One-Year Deal with Miguel Tejeda

Tejada already looks good in orange and black.

The San Francisco Giants lost Juan Uribe yesterday to the Los Angeles Dodgers and today they have found a possible replacement.  According to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes, the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a one-year contract with Miguel Tejada for $6.5 million.  The deal is said to include $500,000 in performance-based incentives.  Michael Urban of CSN Bay Area has confirmed the story and has also mentioned that the Giants expect him to be an everyday player.

It seems the Tejada is being brought in to be the everyday shortstop but this deal does not preclude the Giants from picking up a shortstop and having Tejada played third.  This would allow the Giants to move Pablo Sandoval to first if he turns out to make the starting roster.

Miguel Tejeda started last season with the Baltimore Orioles but was traded to the San Diego Padres for the last 59 games of the season.  In 2010 Tejeda batted .269/.312/.381 with 15 homeruns and batted in 71.  His defense on the other hand is not overly impressive.  He played 58 games last season at shortstop and rated average at best (0.1 UZR, 0.3 UZR/150). 

Tejeda is a very similar player to Juan Uribe, statistically, except that he seems to always make contact.  At this point in his career he is a .280 hitter at best but unlike Uribe he seems to not strikeout as much.  Last year his strikeout percentage (SO/AB) was 10.5% compared to Uribe's which was 17.7%.  With the Giants able to sign him to just a one-year deal, I prefer having Tejeda over Uribe.