Is Roberts a good fit for the Cubs?
If the Orioles decide to increase their efforts to trade Brian Roberts, and they're still determining whether he's open to a long-term deal, the Cubs continue to make a lot of sense.
They're neck-deep in starting pitching, an area that needs serious upgrading on the Orioles' side. Their projected rotation is Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Rich Harden, Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, with left-handers Sean Marshall (8-12 with a 4.08 ERA as a starter the last two years) and Rich Hill, and right-handers Jeff Samardzija and Kevin Hart (a former Orioles farmhand) waiting for a chance.
As if that isn't enough, the Cubs haven't ruled out trading for Jake Peavy or signing free agent Randy Johnson.
(By the way, the Cubs are reportedly seeking a trade for Marquis, who is 23-18 with a 4.40 ERA in the last two seasons. But he's also due to earn $9.75 million in the final year of his contract. Yikes.)
The Cubs, meanwhile, need for a player to balance a lineup that leans heavily toward the right.
"It's very much alike, one through eight," manager Lou Piniella said. "It's right-handed, it's power-hitting and it's not very quick."
Add a left-handed bat and athleticism, "and the whole thing changes," he said.
Sounds like Roberts would fit nicely. But word out of Chicago is that general manager Jim Hendry wants a left-handed bat for right field and could pursue free agents Raul Ibanez or Bobby Abreu. A trade for Kansas City's Mark Teahen also has been discussed.
So maybe Roberts isn't the answer after all.
Switching topics, Lou Montanez was named to the Tops Double-A All-Star team, one of only three players from the Eastern League to make it.
Former Oriole Luis Matos ranks second in batting in the Puerto Rican Winter League with a .405 average through 10 games. He has two doubles, a home run, three RBIs, eight runs scored and five stolen bases.
Once a highly regarded prospect in the Orioles' system, Matos' conditioning and defensive skills in center field left a lot to be desired in his final season. I don't think I've seen the organization's opinion of a young player deteriorate so quickly in all the years I've covered baseball.
Another blast from the past, Bruce Chen, has a 1.17 ERA in 7 2/3 innings. Remember him?
A scout recently referred to Adam Jones as "a walking tool shed," in reference to the center fielder's multiple skills. I like it.
Brian Matusz made his final appearance in the Arizona Fall League last night, and it came in relief. He allowed three runs and six hits in four innings to take the loss, leaving him 2-4 with a 4.72 ERA.
Brandon Snyder went 3-for-5 with a double to raise his average to .349. Matt Wieters was 2-for-4 with a double and finished at .301.
Time to rest, fellas.
Snyder will be assigned to Double-A Bowie next season, where team officials hope he'll keep hitting his way into their future plans. They know his ticket to the majors is stamped on his bat. He'll never be a plus-defender. The question is whether he'll hit with enough power to justify playing him at first base.
The Orioles need a shortstop, but they haven't inquired about free agent Juan Uribe.
Let me start by saying the team should extend Robert's contract.
That said, it doesn't seem that the team is making or for that matter, interested in doing that. Cubs could still be a match. Wasn't Hill completely untouchable last year at this time?
Another option could be the Cardinals who are looking for a second baseman. They are discussing moving outfielder Ryan Ludwick. Put him in leftfield and the outfield is set for years(assuming we sign Markakis). That would allow us to package Reimold in a deal for pitching or a shortstop. JJ Hardy would certainly be an offensive improvement, but what about the young AA guy in Milwaukee who makes him available. Also think we still need to find out what it would take to get Brandon Wood here.
The Orioles need to sign Brian Roberts to a long term no-trade clause deal real soon. Brian, is one of the best lead off men in the game today. And Baltimore should be glad that they have him. So Andy, please just focus on acquiring Cezar Izturis at short. Those two would make a great doutble play team. And try to sign A.J. Burnett. Afterall he lives in Baltimore, and being closer to home, for his family is a big big plus these days. And how about bringing Matt Weiders to the big club say by late May Early June. Aferall, Ramon Hernandez is going to begin to maybe feel some pressure that he needs to perform up to what he can do for this ballclub. Otherwise, bring in Matt from the wing.
If the O's are unable to sign Tex and Burnette then Roberts will leave. I agree with the pitching for the Cubs but I would ask for Vitters also. Maybe Vitters, Cedeno, and a couple of pitchers.
Weiters struggling at the end of the season is all the more reason to start him in AAA.
I still like the Furcal idea.
If the Cubs trade for Peavy then I doubt they'll have enough left to get Roberts. I'd rather the O's get some starting pitching through FA and extend BRob. This team would've competed last year if they had atleast two starters besides Guts who could get people out.
If Brian Roberts gets traded in an offseason where the Orioles lose out on Mark Teixiera and AJ Burnett...you could pretty much count on the chance that the attendence next season might not break 1,000,000... opening day Weiters be damned. So the Orioles better lock-in Roberts & Markakis and/or land at least one of Teixiera or Burnett if they want to prove to their fans (let alone the rest of baseball) that they are seriously attempting to get better.
No offense to the Cubs, but I still don't like anything they have available to offer...not for Roberts. If we were talking about a team with the depth that the Dodgers have then there might be some interesting ideas. The Cubs prospects leave me feeling flat. I mean why would we trade Roberts for Sean Marshall when we can throw Garrett Olson out there and get the same thing? And at least with Garrett there is the ability for him to rise to his potential without costing us an All-Star second basemen in the process.
Oh, I forgot....
If you trade BRob, you're losing an all-star gold glove caliber second baseman, your stolen base leader, one of run scoring leaders and creating a huge hole at the top of the lineup. IMO, whatever you get back in a trade won't replace all of that and there doesn't appear to be anyone in our system that's even remotely close to do what BRob does for this team.
Hey Roch,
We should flood the radio stations with requests for "Please Come Home For Christmas" and dedicate it to A.J. and Tex, maybe A.J. and Mark's family will hear it and it will pull at their heartstrings to know how much we want them here.
Roch- YOU ARE A GREAT GUY!! Let me tell you why. You are keeping all our heads out of the clouds with the Texiera situation. You keep saying the Yanks and Sox will sign him because of money. You do not want everyone to get to excited. You are truly concerned about us. I also think that without saying it you believe the O's will not do the things needed to bring him home. I get it, and I respect it. You never bash the O's. I personally think that the O's could sign and afford to pay whatever they wanted to whoever they want.
If they do not land him and he goes to another AL East team, it just confirms for me that the O's will never win. Ever. 20 years from now we will still be talking about whatever doesn't matter.
We can develop a player, they buy the best one for that position and they still have 1 up. They will never be bad. It will never be easy for the O's. Like in the ACC in Basketball. We will never be the Carolina of the AL East.
Is Roberts a good fit for the Cubs? Of course. That's why they've been trying to get him for two years. But you're a Baltimore blogger, you should be concerned with the good of the Orioles. Rich Hill, Sean Marshall, etc. are no better than the crop of mediocre to worse 4th and 5th starters we already have, and putting them in the American League would only make them worse. If Roberts is going to be traded, it needs to be for real quality, not quantity, not mediocre players to fill holes. If all you can get for Roberts is a pile of the warmed-over slop our roster is already filled with, then you keep one of the few bright lights on our team for as long as you can and hope you can either improve enough to keep him when he becomes a free agent or get lucky with the draft picks you get for him.
Good Posts everyone.
I have to agree with Tracy on the Sean Marshall idea. Isn't that a movie? Forgetting about Sean Marshall? Oh, never mind. I still think we can get Lowe for a cheaper price and extend Roberts/Markakis to the money and years they deserve. Actually signing Lowe and R/M will leave us money to get another pitcher..Garland? Byrd? Thoughts? Ideas?
Roch,
The Cubs don't have enough to trade for Peavy without getting a 3rd team involved. And honestly, given that what Hendry offered last year was not enough, I don't see them offering enough this year with one year left on Roberts' deal.
I guess they could extend him, but I'm underwhelmed by what the Cubs have to offer us.
Roberts greatest value to us would be playing 2nd base and leading off. We should definitely extend his deal... if he's not open to it, we are in a bad place and the fact that MacPhail didn't pull the trigger in February is gonna look pretty bad.
Sorry to go back to the Mussina topic, but I'm just catching up today.
I honestly want him to get 30 more wins. This is tough for a die-hard O's fan to say, but I wouldn't even care if he got them wearing pinstripes. The man deserves to retire at 300. At his current pace (20 wins!) it would be done in 2010.
I know you said its his choice, but I would really like to see him do that. He would be a lock for the Hall with 300.
Hey Roberts homers...he may not WANT to sign here....if thats the case deal him. You cant just sign him. It takes two to tango. The guy has said before he prefers to play for a winner. I get the feeling if we dont ink Big Tex, BRob refuses to negotiate long term. Then we will have to deal him to the highest bidder. Its not such a bad thing. The Miggy/Bedard deals seemed to have worked out in our favor.
It was reported in the Baltimore Sun that the Padres offered Khalil Greene in exchange for Garrett Olson! I realize Greene is a f/a at the end of the year, but are you kidding me here ????? I would have packed Olson's bags for him, bought his plane ticket, and I would have driven him to the airport myself if I was A.M. If that report is true, what are we thinking there?? Not that I feel Greene is the next Cal Ripken Jr., but he's definitely an upgrade and they could have had the chance to re-sign him. And as for Olson, I'd leave him on the side of the road like an old sofa...
The O's should be backing up the truck for Roberts and Markakis. They are going to have to over spend to keep them here and spend even more to entice Tex, AJ, and any other free agent to call the OPCY their new home.
Not signing B-Rob would weaken the middle further since we don't even have a SS, eliminate one of the best lead off guys in the game from our roster, take away one of the best base thiefs out there, and remove one of the best faces for the organization from a charitable presence in Baltimore Region. No brainer. Pay the man!
Lock-up Markakis with a lifetime contract. Besides the way he plays the field has anyone noticed that this kid has one of the best swings in the game that you could almost compare it to Ted Williams except the fact the Nick will take a pitch to left field!
Think about this line-up for next year
Roberts
Jones
Markakis
Tex - god we can only hope
Huff
Weiters
Mora
Scott/Montanez
Furcal???
I'm glad we didn't trade Garrett Olson for Greene, we can get a better shortstop from free agency, and with our luck Garrett Olson will become the next Curt Schilling one day if we traded him. The Orioles should save there starting pitchers.
Cereal Blogger - That's true that Roberts has to want to stay in order to make an extension work. I don't think any of us are forgetting that fact, so no need to be snide about it. But sometimes if a guy isn't going to stay and you're only being offered rubbish for him you are still better waiting and taking the draft pick(s) you could get for him if you offer him arbitration and he selects free agency. So far Joe Jordan has done a pretty impressive job for us...I'd rather let HIM find our replacement for Roberts, if Brian chooses not to stay, than taking the Cubs "maybes" in exchange.
No point saying the same things about Roberts that have been posted already. Something to consider regarding free agents, though: an infield of Teixeira, Roberts, Izturis, and Mora; an outfield of Markakis, Jones, and Scott/Reimold/Montanez; and Wieters catching. That's likely the best defensive team in baseball (LF the main weakness), and that's a quick way to improve your pitching. With that in place, you don't have to be as concerned with signing FA pitchers (what we have will look a lot better) but you increase your odds of signing FA pitchers. Boras gives those books on the laudatory qualities of his clients in an attempt to sell them for higher prices. We should hand out videos of the defense pitchers can expect with guys like Markakis, Jones, and Roberts playing behind them.
Although I'd have probably traded Olson for Greene, too.
Depending on how serious his injury is Rich Hill might be an interesting option...Jeff Samardzija also makes a lot of sense for us.
I'm not the only one that misses Bruce Chen's Joke of the Day, am I!? He had some great corny jokes.
Tracy - I never said they had to trade him to the Cubs. Im sure there are other suitors. The guy is a difference maker, somebody will offer something worth thinking about. Whats the point of waiting for a draft pick? They are CERTAINLY no sure thing & you only get one player. You can trade BRob for 3-4 solid prospects. Look, we are so far behind we need more bodies ready to compete at the AA-AAA & MLB level. Smart innovative teams take risks. We made nice moves last offseason, we need to keep at it.
we need roberts...nough said. who else leads off??? ya think jones is ready? no. the only way i could approve of a brian roberts trade is if we sign furcal, which will not happen. no to A.J. he's not worth it! What about brad penny roch?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He sure didn't endear himself to officials and teammates in LA. And there was a health issue. Don't think the Orioles will go there. - Roch
Cereal Blogger -
I agree with your comments regarding Roberts willingness to sign here, and I didn't think your tone was a bit snide. It's practically a catch 22 situation for MacPhail and the O's, if Roberts doesn't want to commit to resigning, then what's the sense of signing Tex and watching him hit all those solo shots while the Birds loose 12-3. And I don't believe for one minute Brian will re-up until the O's land a couple of top tier FA's. Given the state of baseball in this town, Baltimore is not a desirable destination for most top tier FA's, even if you are from Severna Park! But I give MacPhail some credit, Andy has already gone out on record saying the 1st preference is to resign Roberts.
Anyone that thinks Tex & AJ will take hometown discounts to sign here are delusional! Look who the agent is. And NY has already indicated an interest in AJ, as well as the Bosox. Let's just take a look at Tex's circumstances as to gauging his willingness to sign with a rebuilding team. Yes it's his hometown team, and the one he rooted for as a kid. But Tex has been through the rebuilding scenario at 2 stops now, Texas & Atlanta. He then gets traded to the Angels and gets his first taste of playoff brand ball. So now suddenly he wants to go back into a rebuild situation? And make no mistake about it, even if we sign Tex & AJ along with Roberts, we are still in rebuild mode. However now, we sacrificed a couple of draft picks, and now have 2 starting pitchers and a more dangerous offense. Nice, but all that really nets us in the AL East is 3rd place, if we find at least 2 more serviceable starters. And then we have to pray that AJ doesn't break down again.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the O's sign Tex & AJ, and resign Brian. But i doubt it happens here. For one, Brian has not come out and said, get me those guys and I'm on board. Heck, Brian hasn't even endorsed staying here if we become a player in the FA market. I don't blame him for wanting to play for a winner, but I'd also like to see Brian make a little more commitment to us? The last 11 years are not Andy MacPhail's fault, and he at least needs to give the guy a chance. So come B-Rob come out and make the commitment!!! You ain't getting a total free pass from me, like some other posts are willing to give you. It does take two to tango!!!!