New Orleans ? Luis Aparicio. Mark Belanger. Cal Ripken.

And now, Miguel Tejada. The Baltimore Orioles made a big splash Sunday, signing the former AL MVP to a $72 million, six-year contract and vowing they were just starting to warm up at the winter meetings.

After finding the first stellar successor to Ripken at shortstop, the Orioles immediately turned their attention back to three other top targets: Vladimir Guerrero, Ivan Rodriguez and Javy Lopez.

“This is the first part of what we’re trying to accomplish this offseason, with getting bats in the middle of the lineup,” Orioles vice president Jim Beattie said.

Stuck in next-to-last place in the AL East for six straight seasons, the Orioles came to town determined to find hitters.

“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 Orioles outbid Detroit and Seattle in giving Tejada the richest deal of this offseason.

Ripken, Aparicio and Belanger combined to play the position in Baltimore 1963-1997. Now, the Orioles hope Tejada can become a fixture at Camden Yards. Tejada, 27, hit .308 with 34 home runs and 131 RBIs in 2002 to help Oakland win 103 games and the AL West. After that season, he was voted MVP. He dropped to .278 with 27 homers and 106 RBIs last season.