Tag Archives: Miguel Tejada

Mariano Rivera Among 20 New Candidates on the MLB Hall of Fame Ballot

Posted on by
Reply

Mariano Rivera is on the ballot…

The 42-year-old Panamanian former Major League Baseball pitcher is among 20 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, joined by 15 holdovers headed by Edgar Martinez.

Mariano Rivera

Nicknamed “Mo” and “Sandman,” Rivera played 19 seasons for the New York Yankees. He spent most of his career as a relief pitcher and served as the Yankees’ closer for 17 seasons.

Rivera had 652 regular-season saves and 42 in the postseason that included five World Series titles. He was 8-1 with a 0.70 ERA in 32 postseason series.

Rivera was named the 1999 World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the 2003 American League Championship Series MVP, and he holds several postseason records, including lowest earned run average (ERA) (0.70) and most saves (42).

Players remain on the ballot for up to 10 years, provided they receive at least 5 percent of the vote annually. Martinez and first baseman Fred McGriff (23.2 percent last year) are on the BBWAA ballot for the final time.

Other Latino players making the ballot include Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher Freddy García, Dominican former professional baseball player Plácido Polanco, Dominican former professional baseball outfielder Manny Ramírez, Dominican American former professional baseball right fielder Sammy Sosa, Dominican former professional baseball shortstop Miguel Tejada, and Venezuelan former professional baseball shortstop Omar Vizquel.

More than 400 ballots are being sent to eligible voters from theBBWAA, and a player must receive at least 75 percent for election. Ballots are due by December 31 and results will be announced January 22, 2019. Voters must have been members of the BBWAA for 10 consecutive years.

Here’s a look at the players on this year’s ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Hall of Fame Ballot List

  • Rick Ankiel
  • Jason Bay
  • Lance Berkman
  • Barry Bonds
  • Roger Clemens
  • Freddy García
  • Jon Garland
  • Travis Hafner
  • Roy Halladay
  • Todd Helton
  • Andruw Jones
  • Jeff Kent
  • Ted Lilly
  • Derek Lowe
  • Edgar Martínez
  • Fred McGriff
  • Mike Mussina
  • Darren Oliver
  • Roy Oswalt
  • Andy Pettitte
  • Juan Pierre
  • Plácido Polanco
  • Manny Ramírez
  • Mariano Rivera
  • Scott Rolen
  • Curt Schilling
  • Gary Sheffield
  • Sammy Sosa
  • Miguel Tejada
  • Omar Vizquel
  • Billy Wagner
  • Larry Walker
  • Vernon Wells
  • Kevin Youkilis
  • Michael Young

Infante Reportedly Agrees to Lucrative Multi-Year Deal with the Royals

Posted on by
Reply

Omar Infante has landed a royal deal…

The 31-year-old Venezuelan free agent infielder has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth about $30 million with the Kansas City Royals, according to ESPN.

Omar Infante

Infante, who turns 32 later this month, hit .318 with 10 home runs, 51 RBIs and a .795 OPS for the Detroit Tigers last season.

The 2010 All-Star selection will provide the Royals with a versatile infielder. The 12-year veteran has played 60 percent of his Major League Baseball (MLB) games at second base and a combined 23 percent at shortstop and third. He’s also seen limited action in the outfield.

His bat also should give a boost to Kansas City, whose middle infielders combined for an OPS of .574 this past season, dead last in baseball, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The New York Yankees also were in the hunt for Infante, with a source telling ESPN earlier this week that they offered him a three-year, $24 million deal.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore has said throughout the offseason that upgrading at second base was a priority. Kansas City used six players at the position last season — Emilio Bonifacio, Jamey Carroll, Chris Getz, Johnny Giavotella, Elliot Johnson and Miguel Tejada — and they combined to hit .243 with just four home runs.

The fallback plan for the Royals was to go into next season with Bonifacio as their primary second baseman, but he’ll likely become a utilityman now.

The Royals are certainly familiar with Infante from having watched him play for their AL Central rival Detroit. Infante came up with the Tigers in 2002, and then was traded to the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves before landing back in Detroit two years ago, when he helped the Tigers win an American League pennant.

Infante is batting .279 with 74 homers and 421 RBIs over his 12-year career. He’s never played more than 149 games in a season, and missed more than a month last year with an ankle injury that occurred when the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Colby Rasmus slid aggressively into his leg.

Tejada Reaches Minor League Deal with the Kansas City Royals

Posted on by
Reply

Miguel Tejada has reached a royal deal to return to the baseball field…

The 38-year-old Dominican-born former American League MVP has reached a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals and says he’s ready to return to the majors.

Miguel Tejada

Tejada has agreed to a one-year contract that will be worth $1.1 million if he makes the big leagues. It includes an additional $400,000 in performance bonuses.

The six-time All-Star infielder last played in the majors in 2011 with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .239 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 91 games.

“I’m very pleased with this. The contract with the Royals is a done deal,” Tejada told The Associated Press. “I’m going to try to help this team and their younger players. I’m so happy because this is what I was aiming for, a chance to get back to the majors.”

Tejada played 36 games in Triple-A for the Baltimore Orioles franchise last season, batting .259 with no homers and 18 RBIs. He was released from his minor league deal on June 25 at his own request when he didn’t see an opportunity to play for the Orioles in the near future.

Tejada has been playing for the Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Republic Winter League, saying he lost 15 pounds during the summer.

“I believe I can be valuable for Kansas City in different facets. They haven’t told me what specific role they have in mind for me, but what is important is that I’m healthy and I know that I can help,” he said.

Tejada spent 15 seasons in the majors and was the 2002 AL MVP with Oakland. He is a career .285 hitter with 304 homers and 1,282 RBIs with the A’s, Orioles, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and the Giants.