Baltimore Signs Tejada for 6 Years, $72 Million

The Baltimore Orioles, in what is expected to be the first step in a megabuck holiday spending spree, signed free-agent shortstop Miguel Tejada to a six-year, $72-million contract Sunday. Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and either catcher Ivan Rodriguez or Javier Lopez could be next for the Orioles, who have about $35 million in 2004 payroll to spend on a quick-fix rebuilding project this winter.

Actually, said co-General Manager Mike Flanagan, it’s not really a quick fix.

“We’re looking for a nucleus of players who can grow with the club,” Flanagan said, adding that Tejada, 27 and the American League most valuable player with the Oakland Athletics in 2002, personifies the mold.

“Great shortstops have been the cornerstone of the Orioles success,” Flanagan said, referring to Mark Belanger, Luis Aparicio and Cal Ripken Jr., among others. “Tejada is stepping into some big shoes. We obviously think he can fill them.”

In addition to the Orioles, only the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers were believed to have seriously competed for Tejada once agent Fernando Cuza insisted on at least six years.

Tejada struggled in defense of his MVP award through the first half of last season but finished with 27 homers, 106 runs batted in and a .278 average.

The small-market A’s, who plan to go with the promising Bobby Crosby as their shortstop next year, had conceded Tejada’s departure last spring, knowing they didn’t have the resources to retain him.

General Manager Billy Beane cited the $72-million deal with Baltimore and said, “Now you know why we didn’t spend a lot of time and energy creating the illusion [that the A’s could re-sign him].”

Tejada’s official departure came 24 hours after the A’s lost closer Keith Foulke to the Boston Red Sox.

“Just look at the players who have left Oakland,” Beane said. “Between Jason Giambi, Jason Isringhausen, Johnny Damon and Keith Foulke you could finance the reconstruction of Iraq.”

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The Tampa Bay Devil Rays agreed to deals with outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. and shortstop Rey Sanchez and acquired left-hander Mark Hendrickson and infielder Geoff Blum in separate trades.

Cruz agreed to a two-year, $6-million deal and Sanchez will be paid $1 million for 2004. Both players must pass physicals.

Cruz, 29, started 151 games for the Giants, batting .250 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. He set a San Francisco record with 18 outfield assists, but in the Giants’ division series loss to Florida, Cruz failed to catch a routine fly ball that helped the Marlins’ game-winning 11th-inning rally in Game 3.

Hendrickson went from Toronto to Colorado to the Devil Rays in a three-team trade that sent left-hander Joe Kennedy to the Rockies and right-hander Justin Speier to the Blue Jays.

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Infielder Carlos Guillen, 28, agreed to a $2.5-million, one-year contract with Seattle. .... Infielder Tony Graffanino, 30, and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $2.2-million, two-year contract. .... New York Yankee owner George Steinbrenner decided to exercise General Manager Brian Cashman’s 2005 option, Steinbrenner spokesman Howard Rubenstein said.

Associated Press contributed to this report.