Astros acquire Tejada from Baltimore
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Houston Astros have acquired shortstop Miguel Tejada from the Baltimore Orioles for five players, including outfielder Luke Scott.
In addition to Scott, the Astros also sent pitchers Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate to the Orioles, along with third base prospect Mike Costanzo.
Tejada spent the past four seasons with the Orioles and has two years remaining on a six-year contract he signed as a free agent prior to the 2004 campaign. He played his first seven seasons with Oakland and was the AL MVP in 2002 with the Athletics.
The 31-year-old Tejada batted .296 with 18 homers and 81 runs batted in this past season, playing only 133 games because of fractured bone near his left wrist. He went on the disabled list in June, ending the fifth-longest consecutive games streak in baseball history at 1,152.
Tejada's home run and RBI numbers were his lowest since 1998, when he played just 105 games in just his second big league season. He hit .311 in 619 games with Baltimore.
In 11 big league seasons, starting with a 26-game call-up in 1997, Tejada has 258 homers, 1,033 RBI and a .287 batting average. His MVP season of 2002 included 34 homers, 131 RBI and a .308 average. He drove in 150 runs and belted 34 homers with a .311 average in his first year with Baltimore in 2004.
Scott clubbed 18 home runs, knocked in 64 runs and batted .255 in 132 games last season. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter played in 99 games over the previous two seasons with Houston and is a career .273 hitter in 663 at-bats.
Albers, who will be 25 in January, was 4-11 with a 5.86 earned run average in 31 games, including 18 starts for the Astros in 2007. The right-hander walked 50 and struck out 71 in 110 2/3 innings last season. He was 0-2 in four games in 2006, a year in which he was also named the top pitcher in the Texas League.
Patton made his big league debut last season and was 0-2 with a 3.55 ERA in three games, including two starts. The 22-year-old lefty was also a combined 10-8 with a 3.51 ERA in 24 minor league starts.
Sarfate appeared in seven games out of the Houston bullpen last season after being acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in September. He was 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old righty was also 2-7 with a 4.52 ERA in 45 games for Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate in Nashville.
Costanzo was acquired by the Astros on November 11 in a deal that sent relief pitcher Brad Lidge to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 24-year-old was a second- round pick by the Phillies in 2005, and last year batted .270 with 27 homers and 86 RBI for Double-A Reading. His home run total ranked second in the Eastern League.
The Orioles said Costanzo will be assigned to the minors, while the others will be part of Baltimore's 40-man roster.