The defending National League Champions New York Mets placed shortstop Rueben Tejada on waivers. They weren’t sure how healthy Tejada was after breaking his fibula on a slide from Chase Utley during game two of the National League Division series. In the offseason the Mets added Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera. Tejada appeared healthy in spring training but is the odd man out.
Tejada is entering his 7th season, all with the Mets. Last season he hit three home runs and added 28 RBI’s. In the postseason he had five at bats but didn’t have a hit. Tejada is a career .255 hitter with 10 home runs and 148 RBI’s. Tejada doesn’t make his money with his bat but with his arm and legs. He is a guy who can field a ground ball and throw to first, rarely making throwing errors. For his play, he hasn’t won a Gold Glove yet, but is close.
Tejada’s job now belongs to Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera suffered a knee strain and might miss opening day. The Mets, though, have Wilmer Flores. Flores can play every position on the infield. This forced the Mets to waive Tejada.
Tejeda was going to make $3 million this year. If a team claim him then the Mets are off the hook. If not , the Mets could cut him and only pay $500,000. There are plenty of teams who could use him. He is a solid shortstop and would be an upgrade on nearly anybody’s roster. The problem is his ability to hit. Sure he can get on base but he is not a power hitter and won’t hit home runs. He is able to move his teammates around the base pads.
Tejada may not get claimed at this point. Major League Baseball teams are into spring training. They may want to see what kind of ball club they have for the first few weeks of the regular season. If they don’t like their shortstop position, they might sign Tejada. Tejada will be in a uniform this year but it might be well into the season. He would be worth adding to a team.
Which baseball team should sign Rueben Tejada?
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