Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting the Astros are searching for alternatives should Tejada have to be designated for assignment by the government to the Dominican Republic. Or if he is playing for the San Quentin All-Stars:
Legal experts believe Tejada won't be going to prison after admitting he lied to Congress about his steroid use, but that hasn't stopped the Astros from exploring shortstop options. One name on the list is Oakland's Bobby Crosby, a former Rookie of the Year. The A's are serious about bringing free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera into the fold. They would use Crosby as their super-sub if that should occur, but there is likely to be a market for him.
Still believe there's no way, with the money the Astros are paying Tejada, he doesn't spend all season (albeit with more rest during the week) at short. Bobby Crosby is in the last year of a 5-year, $12.75 million deal where he'll make $5.25 million this season and be eligible for free agency following 2009. Should Tejada go to jail or get deported, I'm not sure what the Astros' legal obligations would be regarding his 2009 salary. But I wouldn't be in favor of trading any more pieces for impending free agents.
I still think their best opportunity to get out of his deal was last year, when ESPN ambushed Miggs and made him admit he was 34 and not 32. With two years left on his deal, I think Easy Eddie could have said "Wait, that moves your contract up two years. See you later." But remember, he had just traded all of Round Rock to Baltimore for Miggs, so he wouldn't have done it, anyway.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
