NEW ORLEANS — Former American League MVP Miguel Tejada agreed Sunday night to a $72 million, six-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles — the longest and richest deal of the offseason so far.
"Miguel continues the tradition of great Orioles shortstops," Orioles vice president Mike Flanagan said. "The cornerstone of the Orioles through the years has been our shortstops, and he certainly fits in that mold."
The deal is worth an average of $12 million annually through 2009, according to contract information obtained by the Associated Press. Tejada must pass a physical to finalize the contract.
The Orioles still have more money to spend, and they have shown interest in free agents Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez and Javy Lopez.
"We have other players that are big players that we want to add to the club," executive vice president Jim Beattie said. "This is a signal — one of the things we can do to show players that the Orioles are ready to contend, hopefully quickly."
Tejada, 27, earned AL MVP honors in 2002 when he hit .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs in 2002 to help the A's win 103 games and the AL West. But last year he slumped to a .278 average with 27 homers and 106 RBIs, striking out 65 times and drawing 53 walks.
"How many chances do you get to add an MVP-caliber player to your club who wants to be there for a long time?" new Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli said.
The Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers had also expressed interest in Tejada. But Baltimore saw him as a key to improving its lot in the AL East, where it has finished next-to-last for six consecutive years, trailing the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston and New York have each made major moves this winter, and the Blue Jays have made several smaller moves to improve their pitching.
"You can't play dumb to the surroundings of what's going on around you," Mazzilli said. "But we have to think about our team."
Tejada receives a $12 million signing bonus, with $4 million payable in 2004 and $2 million each in 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2011.
He receives yearly salaries of $3 million in 2004, $9 million in 2005, $10 million in 2006, $12 million in 2007, $13 million in 2008 and $13 million in 2009.
Tejada made $5 million last season and $3.65 million in 2002.