The Newest Oriole -- Miguel Tejada (Take Two...)

2009 Stats
674 plate appearances.
.313 batting average, .340 on-base percentage, .455 slugging percentage.
14 home runs, 86 runs batted in, 83 runs scored, 46 doubles.

2010 Projected Stats available at FanGraphs.com.

The "take two" is a very appropriate thing to say when it comes to Miguel Tejada resigning with the Orioles after a two-season stop-over in Houston.

In the movies, a director can have a scene all planned out. All of the props and extras can be in place, all of the cameras and equipment ready to go, and all of the actors on set with their lines. However, once "Action!" is spoken, bad things can happen. Not right away, but as the scene progresses. A prop falls down. An extra looks at the camera. An actor flubs a critical line. Even if a minor flaw or two can be tolerated, eventually something happens that makes the director yell "Cut!"

When that happens, all there is left to do is figure out what went wrong. Shuffle and replace those props and extras. Send the actor to their trailer for a while. If things are going particularly poorly, fire the director and start again. But sometimes, everything will come back to trying the scene over again, and the director saying, "Take two."

This is Miguel Tejada's Take Two. His part may not be as big as it was the first time around, and will change significantly, but it is still critical both to the present and future of the Orioles.

He will switch positions. The Orioles have Cesar Izturis at shortstop for the 2010 season, and even if his offense brings back memories of Mark Belanger, his defense...well, brings back memories of Mark Belanger. So, Tejada will play third base. It won't be the first time he has played there; according to The Baseball Cube, he played one game at third for High-Single-A Modesto back in 1996. But the experiences of former Orioles like Cal Ripken and Melvin Mora, and others who made the SS-3B switch like Alex Rodriguez, suggest that it will take at least half of the season for Tejada to acclimate to the position 50 feet to his right.

He also may or may not bat in the cleanup spot in the Orioles' lineup. He started 331 out of a possible 642 games in the cleanup spot from 2004 through 2007, more than half. That was with guys like Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa in the lineup, and Ramon Hernandez and Jay Gibbons also batting there significantly.With Matt Wieters expected to start putting up power numbers and Nolan Reimold already doing so last season in limited time, though, he might not end the season there.

There is also the looming shadow of Josh Bell that will reach from Norfolk to Baltimore this spring and summer. He is the heir apparent, the Prince of Wales, the Vice President, and the reason Tejada received a one-year deal. Even Garrett Atkins has an option for 2011.

Bell is almost assured of a full (or at least to September) season at Triple-A. If he is putting up Wietersian numbers* while Tejada declines with the bat and struggles with the glove, through, there could be a swell of support to see him promoted sooner rather than later.

*Of course, Wieters himself put up those "Wietersian" numbers at High-Single-A and Double-A. He was hitting well at Triple-A when he was called up last season after a slow start.

On a personal note, I am very happy to see Tejada in an Orioles uniform again. I always liked him as a player, I was happy when he came back in town with the Astros in 2008 (though I was happier that the Orioles swept the series). And I am happy once again.

And no, I haven't forgotten all of the performance-enhancing drug issues. Or the Mitchell Report.

Action*.

*Yes, I know it is a cliche. I really don't care, unless you have a better ending. I didn't think so.