It was almost the greatest single-day performance in winter meetings history. Toward the end of a relatively quiet Sunday of minor deals and signings, word began to spread that the Baltimore Orioles were going to sign Miguel Tejada to a six-year deal. That wasn’t entirely unexpected; Tejada had a limited number of suitors, and the Orioles were the wealthiest of the bunch. After being rumored at just about every number in a range of 20, the deal came in at an eye-popping $72 million. As with Mike Cameron, a late flurry of activity had been very profitable for the player. What was unexpected was the rumors that came attached to the deal. Not only were the O’s signing Tejada, but they were also ready to announce that he’d be playing with Ivan Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero. That’s right; the Baltimore Orioles were coming back with a vengeance, prepared to commit close to $200 million to the three best players left unsigned in an effort to return to relevance in the AL East and return crowds to Camden Yards.
As promised, here’s a team-by-team breakdown of last week’s NorCal Mock Winter Meetings. With the real winter meetings in New Orleans winding down, it’s interesting to compare the two for like transactions as well as differences.