Soon, possibly on Monday, he will walk past the gates at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, this player who had been known as the heart of the Baltimore Orioles, and settle into his locker in the southwest corner of the clubhouse, greeting teammates he tried to abandon two months ago. He will gather those teammates and, heeding the advice of the Orioles' front office, Miguel Tejada will explain why he demanded a trade. The reaction from teammates, expected to be supportive, will show whether much was lost when Tejada, pessimistic at the Orioles' prospects for competing in the American League East, expressed his desire to play elsewhere. "Maybe it's necessary that he addresses the team because of what happened this offseason," pitcher Daniel Cabrera said. "It's good that he explains what happened. It's important. It was surprising that he wanted a trade." This week, on a conference call with reporters regarding the World Baseball Classic, Tejada said he plans to talk to teammates about the hectic offseason. But the decision was not Tejada's alone. Orioles executives Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette, during their visit with Tejada in the Dominican Republic in late January, suggested he do so. Tejada agreed. It's uncertain whether Tejada will offer much beyond an apology.