O's get Pelzer in Tejada deal (now official)

By Steve Melewski

Orioles

July 29, 2010, 2:11pm

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The Orioles will get 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Wynn Pelzer from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Miguel Tejada. The Orioles are expected to eat some of Tejada's remaining salary. The move opens up third base where the O's will take a good, long look at Josh Bell for the rest of this season. Pelzer is a 6'1", 205-pounder that was rated as the Padres 7th best prospect before the season by Baseball America. This year he is 6-9, 4.20 in 22 games, 18 starts with Double-A San Antonio of the Texas League. He is said to be a power pitcher with a mid 90's fastball. In 94 1/3 innings this season, he has allowed 102 hits with 56 walks and 83 strikeouts and a .277 average against. His last four appearances have come in relief and he has pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings allowing three hits. Pelzer, who was the Padres ninth-round draft pick in 2007 out of the University of South Carolina, has a career minor league record of 26-23, 3.83 over 79 games. He has averaged 8.2 strikeouts and 3.7 walks per nine innings over his career. He was second in the Carolina League in strikeouts in 2009 and some have projected him as a future late-inning reliever.