Miguel Tejada

The magic pixie dust that surrounded Tejada in 2009 faded in 2010 as his batting average dropped more than 40 points, his slugging percentage finally dropped below .400 and his strikeout rate went back to where it was headed coming off his 2008 season. Still, he hit 15 homers with 71 RBI and 71 runs, while playing almost every day. In the offseason, he signed with the Giants and should serve as their starting shortstop/third baseman. At approximately 36 years old, Tejada's best days are behind him and injuries could creep in at any moment, but his little-bit-of-everything (minus speed) skill set make him a serviceable low-end option in NL-only leagues.

Tejada was a revelation in 2009, proving that he still has some gas left in the tank. He showed increased patience at the plate, cutting way back on the strikeouts and turning many of them into hits (hitting a surprising .354 with an 0-2 count). The Astros enter 2010 in rebuilding mode, which means despite being a fan favorite and positive clubhouse influence, it is time for the Astros to cut ties and clear his roster space for a younger player. With a relatively soft free-agent class, Tejada should be in demand at both short and third. He'll be solid wherever he plays, but will not return to the superstar levels he posted earlier in his career.

Tejada's first year in Houston saw him hit .283 with 13 homers and 66 RBI. He was an above-average option at shortstop all year, but he really cooled off as the season progressed. After hitting .339 in April and .291 in May, he hit just .227 in June and .256 in July. His .314 OBP was nothing to write home about, and Minute Maid Park did not help resurrect his power numbers. There will be plenty of shortstops worth having ahead of him in 2009.

Following his worst season offensively since 1999, Tejada was traded to the Astros for a package of five players in the offseason. The next day, his name was mentioned prominently in the Mitchell Report alleging his use of performance-enhancing gear. Tejada's involvement in that world has been alleged since at least the positive test of former teammate Rafael Palmeiro, so this shouldn't come as a big surprise. The bigger mystery is to figure out how much of his power has been tied to his usage, and if so what do we project for 2008? We would have looked for a small recovery in his power numbers prior to the trade, and a change of scenery can't hurt.

Despite seeing his home run total shrink for the second consecutive year, in some ways Tejada had one of the best offensive years of his career, setting career highs in batting average (.330) and on-base percentage (.379). After batting .315 with 17 homers in 365 at-bats prior to the All-Star break, he only hit seven homers in 283 at-bats afterward, but hit a smoldering .350 as well. He'll just turn 31 in May, so there should be no appreciable decline in Tejada’s skill set or statistics. With Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora and Nick Markakis slated to hit in front of him, Tejada will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs from the cleanup spot in 2007.

The normally jubilant and mild-mannered Tejada shocked the majors by demanding a trade in the offseason, citing Baltimore's lack of offseason moves. The problem is that Tejada still has four years remaining in a six-year, $72 million deal, a bargain for an MVP-type player in the current market. Expect the Orioles to attempt to placate their superstar and clubhouse leader into buying into the team's long-term strategy, though it wouldn't be a stretch to expect a slight dip in numbers if Tejada -- an emotional player -- remains in Baltimore and the team continues to lose games.

Tejada led the majors with 150 RBI, 11 more than the next highest total, and earned his first AL Silver Slugger Award as the top-hitting shortstop in the league. Tejada should continue to be among the top offensive players in the majors and the premiere fantasy shortstop in baseball.

We warned you not to bid on Tejada based on his 2002 numbers and MVP. A terrible April (.161 AVG, 4 HRs) made it a long, uphill battle, so you have to give him credit for digging out of a deep hole. Still, he's the same player he was in 2001 and 2000. He's a .270/30 HR shortstop, though moving to Camden Yards from the pitching-friendly Al Davis Monolith will help his overall numbers.

Following Nomar's batting average decline and Jeter's power drought, Tejada takes over as the AL's Second Best Option to Roto-God Himself ™. From a roto standpoint, you have to love a guy who has proven to be a 162-game player. Was amazingly consistent month-to-month, never straying from the .295-.322 range in batting average, and his obscenely good second half (.325, 19 HRs, 72 RBI) bodes well. Had never touched .280 before he exploded for a .308 average in 2002, so the usual tenet of “Don't bid on last year's numbers” applies here.