"Were it six or five or even four years ago, this would've been a blockbuster, one that certainly wouldn't have been made at all. Miguel Tejada's not that Miguel Tejada anymore, not the 150-RBI man, no longer the player to whom teams give six-year, $72 million contracts.

Then again, the Padres aren't that kind of team.

Having already gotten way farther on their $38 million payroll than anyone would've imagined, the first-place Padres wrested Tejada away from the worst team in baseball Thursday with what seems a minimum of expense, wrapping up a trade with the dead-last Baltimore Orioles that certainly enhances their resume. Tejada, coming to San Diego with roughly $1.1 million in cash in exchange for minor league pitcher Wynn Pelzer, is expected to be somewhere in the Padres lineup tonight for the opening of a weekend series against the Florida Marlins.

Tejada, making $6 million this season, brings a veteran presence and a personal ledger that includes six All-Star Game selections and a league Most Valuable Player award, the latter coming eight seasons ago with the Oakland Athletics . After years of declining offensive numbers, Tejada had a resurgence with the Houston Astros last year, batting .313 and living up to his nickname ("The Bus") by driving in 86 runs."