White Sox, Ruben Tejada Agree To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Ruben Tejada, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Tejada, a client of Primetime Sports Group, will join the White Sox’ Triple-A club this weekend.
Now 31 years old, Tejada is best known for his time with the Mets, with whom he spent the 2010-15 and 2019 seasons. In parts of seven years in Queens, Tejada slashed .254/.328/.322 while logging considerable time at each of shortstop, second base and third base. He’s also had brief stints with the Cardinals, Giants and Orioles, though he hasn’t been particularly productive at any of those three stops.
Tejada has spent the season thus far with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate after agreeing to a minor league deal back in May. He appeared in 72 games with the IronPigs and slashed .231/.341/.262 over the life of 264 plate appearances. He was released late last month.
Chicago’s infield depth was depleted a bit when both Romy Gonzalez and Danny Mendick were called up to the big league roster in recent days, so Tejada will give them another veteran option in Charlotte, where he’ll join a roster that also includes Matt Reynolds, Marco Hernandez, Mikie Mahtook, Nik Turley and the recently signed Carl Edwards Jr.
Phillies, Ruben Tejada Agree To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Ruben Tejada, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The Primetime Sports client will presumably head to their Triple-A affiliate to open the season.
Outside of a brief, six-game resurgence with the 2019 Mets, we haven’t seen Tejada at the big league level since a rough showing with the Orioles back in 2017. He appeared in 41 games for the O’s that year and managed only a tepid .230/.293/.283 output in 124 trips to the plate.
The vast majority of Tejada’s career has come with the Mets, for whom he served as an oft-used utility infielder from his MLB debut as a 20-year-old in 2010 up through the 2015 season. Tejada logged significant action at shortstop, second base and third base in Queens and, in 2194 plate appearances as a Met, has posted a .254/.328/.322 batting line.
The Phillies currently have Jean Segura (quadriceps strain) and Ronald Torreyes (undisclosed) on the injured list, and they’re not exactly teeming with upper-level infield depth. The hope was that veteran infielder Greg Garcia could serve as this type of depth option, but he opted out of his minor league deal and was given his release earlier this week. As such, the most experienced infield pieces set to open the year in Lehigh Valley were former Red Sox prospect C.J. Chatham — whom the team released in late March but apparently re-signed, as he was announced as part of their Triple-A roster — and versatile Scott Kingery. Kingery has bounced between the Majors and the alternate site multiple times this year already as he looks to return to form after a disastrous 2020 season.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Devers, Blue Jays, Biggio, Yankees, Garcia
The Red Sox have not broached the subject of a contract extension with Rafael Devers, though the player says he’s open to it, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Of course, that’s a boilerplate response from Devers, and one of the reasons agents are so important for players. Devers, represented by Nelson Montes de Oca of Rep 1 Baseball, can let a shoulder shrug do his talking while rightfully laying contract responsibilities at the feet of his agent. He will be arbitration-eligible for the first time after this upcoming season, so he can expect to field extension questions on a regular basis, though neither party has cause to be in any particular rush.After playing a starring role in the Red Sox 2018 World Series win, Devers didn’t disappoint with a .311/.361/.555 line last season with 32 home runs and 115 RBIs. He also notched a league-leading 54 doubles. Devers isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2023 season. Let’s see what else is going on in the AL East…
- Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoya says Cavan Biggio is the Blue Jays second baseman. Still, given how spring training takes shape, Biggio will be keeping his outfielder glove within reach. The particularly contingency to track, per The Athletic’s Jayson Stark (via Twitter), is Joe Panik. Outside of those two, it’s not a deep field of second base contenders. Santiago Espinal, 25, hit .317/.360/.433 in his first taste of Triple-A in 2019, certainly showing enough to get a look this spring. Brandon Drury and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. also have experience at the keystone. Gurriel is ticketed as the everyday starter in left field, which is a position of equal or greater need for the Blue Jays unless something clicks for a youngster like Billy McKinney or Forrest Wall. Travis Shaw, theoretically, could also see time at second base, but he’s more likely to get his at-bats at first, third, or the designated hitter spot. Ruben Tejada, 30, and Kevin Smith, 23, are also both in camp as non-roster invitees.
- Yankees top pitching prospect Deivi Garcia is pushing to fill the injury void in manager Aaron Boone’s rotation, and good as he’s looked thus far, Garcia is unlikely to win a rotation job out of spring camp, per Newday’s David Lennon. The undersized right-hander has done nothing but impress over the last calendar year, and he continues to do so in spring training, keeping hitters off-balance with a power heater. Garcia, 20, won’t be rushed to the majors, despite the injuries. Still, given his progress last year, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking to see him in the majors sometime around his 21st birthday in May. That’s still too aggressive to be an expectant timetable – but given the uncertainty in the Yanks’ rotation and the level of competition in the division, an early debut for Garcia certainly can’t be ruled out.
Blue Jays, Ruben Tejada Agree To Minors Deal
The Blue Jays have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Ruben Tejada, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). Tejada, a Primetime Sports Group client, will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.
Tejada, 30, was a utility player with the Mets from 2010-15 but began to bounce around the league in the following years, briefly appearing with the Giants, Cardinals and Orioles. After a big league in 2018, he returned to the Majors for a six-game cup of coffee with the Mets in 2019.
A career .250/.324/.317 hitter through nearly 2400 big league plate appearances, Tejada has played shortstop, second base and third base at the MLB level and will give the Jays a versatile bench option if he’s able to crack the Opening Day roster. He enjoyed a big season in Triple-A Syracuse in 2019, slashing .326/.404/.471 through 314 plate appearances with the Mets’ top affiliate.
Mets Re-Sign Ruben Tejada
The Mets have re-signed infielder Ruben Tejada to a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Tejada won’t yet be part of the expanded September roster in New York, as he’ll report to Triple-A Syracuse for now.
It was only a brief separation between the two parties, as the Mets just released Tejada earlier this week. He’ll continue to provide backup infield depth at Triple-A, and is probably ticketed back to the big leagues before too long. The 29-year-old has appeared in six games for the Mets this season after signing his initial minors contract back in March. That six-game stint marked Tejada’s Major League appearance since 2017, as he spent 2018 with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate and didn’t receive a call-up, ending a string of eight consecutive years of MLB action.
Tejada was hitless over nine plate appearances in those six Mets games this season, but he has a very strong .330/.408/.476 slash line over 304 PA for Syracuse.
Mets Place Ruben Tejada On Release Waivers
The Mets have requested unconditional release waivers on infielder Ruben Tejada, tweets Jon Heyman of the MLB Network. He’ll be a free agent in 48 hours if he clears.
Tejada, 29, returned to the Mets earlier this month — his first appearance with his original MLB organization since the 2015 postseason. He went hitless in nine plate appearances but has enjoyed a strong season in Triple-A Syracuse, where he’s posted a .330/.408/.476 batting line through 304 plate appearances. The majority of Tejada’s time in Triple-A this season was spent at third base, but he’s also logged innings at second base and shortstop.
Tejada, who bounced from St. Louis to San Francisco to Baltimore between Mets stints, is familiar with all three positions and has played each extensively in the Majors (shortstop in particular). He’s a career .250/.324/.317 batter in 2396 plate appearances as a big leaguer.
Mets Designate Ruben Tejada
The Mets announced today that they have designated infielder Ruben Tejada for assignment. He’ll make way for righty Chris Flexen, who was recalled.
Tejada’s latest stint with the New York org has to this point been a feel-good reunion story. But the 29-year-old has only been given nine plate appearances over his brief time in the big leagues and hasn’t yet reached base.
It’s possible Tejada will remain with the Mets, but that won’t be up to the team. Every other team in baseball will have a shot at claiming him. If he clears waivers, Tejada will have the right to elect free agency.
Despite a scant recent track record in the majors — he was last a notable contributor in 2015 — Tejada has shown a bit of a spark this year in the upper minors. Over 304 Triple-A plate appearances leading up to his promotion, he slashed a hefty .330/.408/.476 with six long balls.
Jeff McNeil Diagnosed With Mild Hamstring Strain
The Mets seem to have caught a big break, as the club learned today that second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil has only a mild hamstring strain, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. It is anticipated that McNeil will miss about ten days of action; unsurprisingly, he will go on the IL, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).
There had been concern that McNeil may have suffered a more significant injury when he departed last night’s contest. Losing him for a lengthy stretch would’ve been devastating to the team’s chances in a tightly contested postseason race.
Placing McNeil on the 10-day injured list will free an active roster spot for Ruben Tejada. As expected, he will be selected to the 40-man and be ready for duty today, Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets. It’ll be Tejada’s first MLB action in a Mets uniform since he broke his leg in the 2015 NLDS.
Mets Preparing To Call Up Ruben Tejada If Jeff McNeil Requires IL Stint
The Mets are bringing infielder Ruben Tejada to meet the team on its road trip in Atlanta, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Whether he’ll formally be added to the MLB roster will depend upon the still-pending medical review of Jeff McNeil, who was injured last night.
Regardless of how this situation plays out, it’s interesting to see Tejada tabbed as the McNeil replacement option. For one thing, it’s a homecoming for the former New York stalwart, whose original tenure in Queens ended in memorably blunt fashion. Of more immediate concern, it’s a bit of a curious choice from a roster fit.
Tejada and McNeil are both infielders by trade. But the Mets have utilized McNeil frequently in a corner outfield role of late, and that is the area of the roster that seems most in need of supplementation if he requires an IL stint.
As things stand, the Mets can utilize the recently-acquired Joe Panik at second while deploying Luis Guillorme as a utility infielder. But the outfield sans McNeil would feature Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Juan Lagares, and Aaron Altherr. The latter two players have turned in miserable offensive efforts to this point of the season.
Tejada has been swinging the bat well at Triple-A, where he owns a .332/.411/.477 batting line over 299 plate appearances. Even allowing for International League offensive inflation, that’s a strong 132 wRC+. But the 29-year-old has never appeared in the outfield as a professional. Neither has Guillorme. Ditto Panik.
That said, there is logic in going to Tejada right now. With opponents scheduling lefty starters in two of the next three games, he’ll be a nice compliment to the left-handed-hitting Panik. Meanwhile, the club will feel better about leaning on Lagares, a strong up-the-middle defender who has historically fared much better when facing southpaws.
Ultimately, if McNeil is down for a while, it seems some kind of outfield supplementation will be preferable — even if that means going outside the organization (tough as that may be this time of the year). Whether Tejada would have a shot at sticking on the roster for the duration of the season remains to be seen.
Mets Sign Ruben Tejada
Per his agents at Primetime Sports Group, the Mets have signed IF Ruben Tejada to a minors deal. The contract comes with a $750K major league salary, and there aren’t any opt-out chances, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
Tejada, 29, spent his first nine professional seasons with the Mets organization, debuting at the tender age of 20 midway through the 2010 season. The Panamanian quickly established himself as a solid shortstop option for New York, posting 1.5 fWAR or better three times from 2011-15 despite never accruing more than 501 plate appearances in a single season.
Tejada’s Mets tenure came to an abrupt halt, though, when a vicious Chase Utley takeout slide in Game 2 of the 2015 NLDS fractured his right fibula, ending his season on impact. He’s never quite been the same since: in 77 appearances over two seasons with the Cardinals, Giants, and Orioles, the slick fielder’s slashed just .207/.275/.268 in 202 plate appearances. Tejada appeared last season for AAA-Norfolk in the Baltimore organization, slashing a meager .230/.291/.298 in 392 plate appearances.
The Mets, who may always have a soft spot for the fan favorite, also have one in back of regular shortstop Amed Rosario, who’s one of just two 40-man players (along with Luis Guillorme) capable of handling the position on a regular basis. Tejada will offer surefire depth, and may indeed seize the utility role if the Mets can again figure out his wayward swing.