Marlins sign Miguel Tejada to minor league deal

The Miami Marlins have agreed to a minor league deal with infielder Miguel Tejada, according to Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun Sentinel. The deal was first reported as close by Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes earlier this afternoon. Tejada played all of 2013 with the Kansas City Royals, but has yet to suit up this season.

The 2002 AL MVP, Tejada was one of the best players in the world during the early-mid 2000's, earning six All-Star bids and posting seven consecutive 4+ WAR seasons from 2000 to 2006. A 16-year big league veteran, Tejada has played for the Athletics, Orioles, Astros, Padres, Giants, and Royals, hitting .285/.336/.457 with 307 home runs and 47.1 WAR for his career. After playing in 91 games for the Giants in 2011, Tejada took 2012 off, but returned last year to hit .288/.317/.378 in 53 games for the Royals, where he primarily served in a utility role.

Tejada has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy in recent years. In 2008, he admitted to being two years older than his listed age, signing as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic with the A's in 1993, though in actuality he was 19.

He has also been heavily linked to performance enhancing drugs. In 2007, he was named in the Mitchell Report, and two years later, he was found guilty of perjury for lying on the stand when testifying about teammate Rafael Palmeiro's steroid use. Last year, he received a 105-game suspension for Adderall use, and was also linked to the Biogenesis scandal. He is currently one positive test away from a lifetime ban.

If Tejada makes a return to the majors with Miami, it is likely that he would once again serve in some sort of utility capacity, however, he still has 64 games remaining on last year's suspension.