Roberts deal just about done
There's more to do than just cross the T's and dot the I's, but the Orioles are close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension with Brian Roberts that has been confirmed at four years and $40 million.
Two open issues need to be addressed, and one of them is just about resolved, the other in discussion. Neither issue is a deal-breaker. The principal stuff is done.
Look for Roberts to take his physical on Thursday and the club to make an announcement on Friday.
After that, the focus can shift to the construction of a 25-man roster, the progress that the young pitchers and catcher Matt Wieters will make in the minors, and how quickly they can help the Orioles. Wieters should get to them first.
Manager Dave Trembley still must decide whether to carry 12 or 13 pitchers. Ryan Freel has been taking ground balls at shortstop since he got here and looks good, though he hasn't done it in game conditions.
His ability to back up Cesar Izturis could make it easier for Trembley to carry three bench players to start the season, though the open dates in April seem to suggest that it's not necessary to keep an extra arm in the bullpen.
Either way, we'll soon be back to talking baseball and not negotiations. And for that, we can all be grateful.
Is a four-year, $40 million deal for Roberts a smart move for the Orioles? Is it good for Roberts? I'll let you chime in and get to your responses as soon as I can.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Can i get an "Amen"!
I can't wait til he's ink!
Can you sleep better tonight that you no longer have to say Roberts and contract in the same sentence?
Made my day. This club is headed in the right direction.
What a great ending to the off-season. Look froward to watching him help lead the Orioles back into contention.
Roch,
Any word that 2009 is part of the new 4 year deal?
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My assumption is it's an extension and begins in 2010. - Roch
Can we all agree that we're relieved Angelos didn't allow Flanaquette to trade Roberts and Hayden Penn to Atlanta for Adam LaRoche and Marcus Giles? Quite possibly Angelos's finest hour as owner. That and hiring Andy MacPhail.
Speaking of Flanaquette, is Mike Flanagan in camp? If so, what's he up to? Would love to read a full blog post on him, if you get a chance, Roch.
For those wondering about Jim Duquette, I heard him hosting a baseball show on satellite radio. At least he's employed.
Definitely a smart move. No health risks, plus we have a guaranteed second baseman, who happens to be one of the best baserunners in the league.
This deal has always been looming over Roberts and the Orioles. Finally, he can play this year without worrying about whether he will still be an Oriole at the end of the season.
Brian Roberts is not just a veteran presence on the team. His involvement in the community, both in terms of money and time, has established his credentials. Most of all, he has demonstrated real class over the last three years when his name was tossed about like a string of hot dogs. The deal was on; the deal was off. He was going, going, gone. He was saved by the owner. The team backed out of a deal, because they were not offered enough. Roch, would you be saying nice things about the Orioles after traveling that road. The truth is a lot of people would say, "Let me out of here." A real pro in the tradition of Brooks and Cal.
It's definitely a good move for Roberts, who gets a nice big contract at a time when big contracts are in short supply. I tend to think its a solid move for the O's. They overpaid a bit, but he's not blocking any minor leaguers, he should still be a valuable player during his age 35 season, and you do have to think about the fans and the veteran presence on the team. Roberts becomes a Baltimore icon and can mentor younger players. Solid move all around.
The O's have now committed more money this offseason than any teams except for the Yankees and Phillies (who committed 1.3 million more). Jack still thinks they are being cheap.
I support it. This is a guy who plays the game the right way. He does a lot for the community. I think the fans need to think about why they wanted (the player whose name I won't type) to be the "next Cal" and see that they have someone "home grown" right here. There are many of us who didn't grow up in Baltimore but love it nonetheless. B-Rob is clearly one of (those kind of) us. Now, he can close out his career with the Birds (winning).
Great deal! Almost every major league team would take the combo of Markakis, Jones, Roberts and Weiters.
Roch -
To answer your question is 4-years and $40m worth it for Brian Roberts I will quote the one and only Stone Cold Steve Austin with a big fat hell yeah!!!
I think it's a great move by both sides.
For the O's:
* They know have 5 of 8 potions locked up for at least 4 years in Roberts, Markakis, Jones, Pie and Wieters. That's a pretty good core of players right there.
* They lock up 2B, an area where free agency doesn't provide many reliable answers.
* They sign a player whose best attributes aren't dependent on youth. Roberts hits well, but not for power. He steals well, but not due to speed, more technique and strategy. He shouldn't decline with age at a fast pace.
* With the Markakis signing, it shows the Warehouse's willingness to sign its own to long-term, big $$$ deals. It may not matter so much with Wieters as a Boras guy (he's gone after 6 service years), but there must be some of those young arms in the system who now have proof that performance will lead to a good contract from the O's.
* The deal itself isn't overspending. Considering it's buying his age 32-age 35 seasons, at the current market, it's not really overpaying for a top 5 leadoff hitter.
* It doesn't preclude the O's from shopping for free agents next year. With the amount of contracts coming off the books, and even with Markakis' and Roberts' new deals, the O's could possibly be under $50 million for next year. That leaves plenty of $$$ to go shopping for those other 3 positions and 1 more starter.
For Roberts:
* Security and stability. He doesn't have to move, he gets more $$$ than were available in this year's free agent market, and the annual "Will B-Rob B Gone?" discussions can end.
* He is surrounded by a good young team that's looking for a leader. He can be that guy, and he's still young enough to be a contributor when they do get good in 2-3 years.
* Let's face it, his All-Star chances are pretty good here for the next 2 years until Wieters claims the O's spot for 5 seasons. (I'm sure it's not why he signed)
* He's finally got a front office that knows what in the world it's doing. He can finally take the field with an end in sight to the futility. And the pressure is off this year to come out blazing hot to drive up his trade value so he can go to a contender.
* The money won't get any better this off-season. With the economy continuing to tank in 2009, this deal may look really, really good to any other 2B this time next winter.
He plays the game the right way--- except when he is using illegal performing enhancing drugs.
Yeah, but other than that he does things the right way.
I actually do like roberts, but its funny how people only care about players on other teams who foul the game
As a life-long Oriole fan, I am glad to see the organization is beginning to value some of its own players not named Cal. However, I wonder if this is a good move... By the end of the deal Roberts will be 35, and his legs could be nearing the end. I love Roberts as a guy who plays hard but let's be realistic. The Red Sox signed Pedroia for 6 years for 40.5 million. So basically we're getting a lesser second baseman for the same price as Pedroia and 2 years less on the deal. Is Roberts really better than the MVP? I think not. The smart move would be to trade Roberts. I hope Andy proves me wrong.
Definitely a good deal!! He's dependable and I saw no real downsides to keeping him signed with us. :o) Plus, there aren't really any notable minor-leaguer 2nd basemen that would be coming up to the bigs any time soon to fill in. Seems like a smart idea to keep our 2nd baseman that has produced so well for us in the past. After the stats he's put up for the O's in the past years it'd be nice to see him be able to play on an improving, winning team! GREAT news!!! :o)
Roch,
Awesome!...Glad BRob has decided to stay with the O's...now let's get on with the season.
At this point, I think having Brian Roberts for 4 extra years will be similar to having Mora until he was 36 years old.
Mora has been decent for what he is in his last four years. A solid .280/.345/.450 hitter, good for 20 home runs a year, and providing roughly average (maybe slightly less than average) defense at the hot corner.
Overall, Mora is a recognizable Oriole by the fans, can sometimes be frustrating to watch but overall takes care of his business and comes through in the clutch a lot. He will be an Oriole HOFer for sure.
Roberts will likely hit at a .285/.350/.420 in his next four years. He will be good for 10HRs and 30 steals a season. He will provide average defense at 2B. His health has never been an issue.
Like Mora, if not more so, Roberts is one of the most recognizable faces on the Orioles, a feared base stealer and doubles hitter. He is a fun player to watch and will also be an Orioles HOFer.
Comparing Roberts to Mora is a good way to preview Roberts four years from now. If he can stay healthy, Roberts will have no problem contributing to the team in four years as Mora did in 2008. This is likely something MacPhail took into consideration, combined with the lackluster market for 2Bs and lack of a viable replacement. I think everyone can be happy about keeping around a player who was homegrown by the Orioles, especially one as good as he is.
To all the Brob bloggers who said:
1-Got to resign Brob!
2-What are we waiting for?
3-Are they too cheap to resign Brob?
4-He's such a classy guy, we need to keep him.
5-Only thing left to do is extend Brob for a A+ off season.
6-Icing on the cake...
or any such similar comments.
If you don't have season tickets, get off your butts, go to Oioles.com and put your money where your mouth is!
"After that, the focus can shift to the construction of a 25-man roster,....."
This organization is capable of doing more than one thing at a time.... Isn't it ?
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I meant our focus. - Roch
Well they are overpaying in this market for a not young anymore 2nd baseman but its not my money. I just hope he is still league average by 2013, my fear is he will be Jeter-like defensively by then.
HEY JACK!
yeah, that's what i thought.
Nice fact KG
"The O's have now committed more money this offseason than any teams except for the Yankees and Phillies (who committed 1.3 million more). Jack still thinks they are being cheap."
You have to be pretty impressed at this point as to what MacPhail has accomplished in his 20 months or so on the job.
You can't help but think that Roberts sees the O's contending here in a couple of years and that factored into his decision. I'm glad he'll be an Oriole when it's quite possible it will matter the most.
I really like this move...everyone involved makes out...he is a great 2B and lead off guy..and O's need him and have no one in the wings to take his place...O's may have paid a bit to much for him if you look at the mkt the last few months..but he is a vet player..and consistent and hardly ever gets hurt (fingers crossed on that one)...this should take him to the end of his career...or really close...and he can be a bird for life...and now days that can be called a rare bird...I guess last O's player to do that was Ripken....this shows how much the O's organization likes BRob and he the O's...now as you say Roch...it is time to get down to who else is on the 2009 O's team...I may be nuts or a diehard O's fan but I really like this team...and I am fired up to watch it all unfold over the next few weeks...and you to tell us all the news daily....
I think signing Roberts is a good decision. If the O's had ANY kind of legitimate option coming through the minor league system, then I'd have felt differently... but they don't. If he'd been allowed to walk or been traded, I fear another post-Tejada like transition would have occurred, with a revolving door of mediocrity at 2nd base for at least a year if not more.
My 10 year old son can keep his Brian Roberts jersey afterall. He already has a Tejada he does not wear. We will probably buy a Roberts road jersey now. Wieters,Tillman,Markakis,Jones,Pie and Matusz Jersey's next this could get expensive but well worth it.
Roch,
After hearing Arod yesterday, I had to write for a comment. Did any of the writers hear what he said? Why didn't I hear anyone question his statments?
Like:
If you took 2-3 shots a month for 3 years from or with your 'cousin' (that's a rich one), did you fly back to the Dominican Republic each time?
-Probably can be verified one way or another.-
How do you get over the counter drugs that need to be injected?
-Huh?-
After listening to this BS, do you think we are all young naive and stupid also?
-Guess we are.-
I'm not a reporter, but I was stunned by the answers Arod gave, and how they went seemingly unquestioned.
Boy, is he full of sh*t!
Don't or can't believe a word he says.
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! This could possibly be a better offseason than last year. In 2 yrs we picked up or locked up Roberts, Markakis, Jones, Pie, Scott, Izturis, Wieters, Zaun, Freel, Wigginton, Albers, Tillman, Patton, Uehara, Arieta, Matusz, Hill, Hennessy, Sherril, Mikolio, Sarfate. Hats off Mr. McPhail, that is progress that hasn't been seen in Baltimore for a very long time. I wore my O's shirt into work on Saturday and recieved many comments...not 1 was negative. Living in braves country I found that to be amazing. I was proud to be an Oriole fan again and not have to make excuses for them. Thanks for the coverage Roch!!!
Smart move. He'll be 36 when the deal is up, but it is a statement that we look after our own. This a great PR move and solid investment. Good stuff.
What do you think the trade market will be for Roberts in 2013?
Simply put, can you even imagine Brian Roberts in any other uniform? The thought alone is disturbing.
He is the epitomy of the Oriole way. On the field, in the community, and hopefully in the clubhouse.
Look I'm not crazy or delusional, but I really feel this club is doing a lot of right things.
OH NO!!! Not another Moradeal.... :-)
Take that, JACK
Great way to go through the offseason and into the regular with a strong, young nucleus that should be able to help the O's for awhile. The McPhail-Trembley team is a strong.
IT's a good deal as long as it doesn't include a full no trade clause. We have seen how that ties our hands with Melvin. This is especially important if this is 4 years after this one.
Finally!! The Orioles seem to be making "professional" moves, first Markakis and now Roberts. Even if things don't work out perfectly down the road, these are the right moves to make. I actually feel a tinge of Oriole pride coming back. After the last ten years though, I'm not drinking the kool aide yet, but I certainly feel better. Good job, Andy McP.
Who cares about Brian Roberts and the Orioles?
The big questions are: Who are the RAVENS going to re-sign and draft? And who's going to be labeled as the franchise player??
As I listen to sports radio in Baltimore, that's all I hear. So I guess that's all people really care about.
Roch, ask the Orioles what they think about the Ravens next year.
YES!! Excellent move. Nice to see that they locked up their 2nd most productive offensive player. Gotta love how MacPhail is running the offseason. Solid, solid, moves all around. Guess the only one who will be disappointed is Jack the ripper......Hmnn sign 2 best players on team for 100 million (Angelos being cheap???.LOL). You probably won't have Jacko commenting, he hates any positive moves they make.
Yes!!!!!
World Series here we come!!!!
Roch, Who else do the O's have at second? Anybody in the minors that will be coming up soon?
If not then I say this is a fine deal. Roberts has been in an O's uniform for a long time and he deserves to get paid for his loyalty. I just hope the O's can put it together for him soon so he can be a part of a winning team. He deserves that too.
Roch,
Overall, I'm happy with this signing. It's hard to replace all the things Roberts can bring. This may be a short in the dark, but any talk of a no trade clause or anything like that? I can't imagine Roberts (a fellow Tarheel, woop woop) would want to go through the headaches of trade speculation at any point in the next 4 years. On a totally unrelated note, I'm curious to know if any pitchers or position players have been somewhat of a surprise to you. I know its still real early and you don't get a lot of access, but who has raised an eyebrow or two? Finally, congratulations Roch, you will no longer have to say the words Teixeira, Roberts, or contract in the same sentence for at least 4 years. How's it feel?
i think he deserves more then that maybe 4/60 million
Roch,
I said it before, and here it is again - McPhail's report card goes from a B to an A with the Roberts extension. This shows the public and the young players in the organization if you produce, they will make room for you. Cheers to Mr. McPhail, be you a King, Queen or a Jack !
Jim
Hey Roch
Someone called in and asked if the O's had anyone in the system to play 1B or 3B in the foture. Can you contact Anita and fill her in on your thoughts on that issue so they can discuss it on-air ?
One word: WOW
I'll be the first to admit it, I was wrong.
I didn't think McPhail and the O's would pull the trigger on this kind of deal for Roberts.
This is the ending to what i consider the best off season in 15yrs. Andy didn't buy the Titanic(TEX) only to watch the oceans dry up!
Freel is a great pick up, O WAY HAIR A will prove to be the better of the Japanese guys signed this yr, Hill and Pie were got for basically nothing when last yr they wouldn't part with either when fishing for BRob, Wiggi is going to prove to be a huge pick up and the extentions to Nick and BRob are just icing on the cake. Andy has stock piled arms on the farm while only parting with dead weight and drama. This club finishes 500 this yr and he has to be considered GM of the yr, we are built to contend in 2010-2013 and will have a farm to retool with for yrs to follow. Excited to be an O's fan and can't wait to see you at the yard.
Go O's!!!!!!
I love Roberts -- I have his jersey -- and I'm glad he'll be around for a while, but this is a LOT of money, considering that Orlando Hudson can't even get a job. Was he really going to command this big a deal on the open market next winter? I doubt it.
It's not my money, and as long as his $10 million isn't going to keep us from spending what we need down the road, that's fine. But on a performance-basis and given what the free agent market has become, this is a massive overpay.
Although I will say, anything that gets people ripping on Jack has to be a positive.
Play Ball!!!!
The only reason why they signed B-Rob to an extension is out of fear of losing the few remaining faithfuls that are still left. Plus it also helped that ANDREW waited too long and wouldnt get nothing in return now.
Think about it...an aging second baseman on a rebuilding team? This is a move that they necessarily didnt want to make (because look how long it took) but had to make.
Is it a good move, I been saying all winter that this move should have been made back in Dec. If we all seen the way the market was playing out...why did it take the rocket scientist this long?
WAY TO GO ANDREW....hip hip horay!
Now go and please take the commissioners job so we can find a real GM
Oh thats right, we still have OLE PETER
One "i" and one "t" in the name Brian Roberts. Dot, cross--there it's done!
This is wonderful news.
Well I would have to give kudos to Mr. McPhail and the Oriole brass.
Instead of wasting money signing free-agents that may or may not help the Orioles become winners and also wasting money on a "Hometown" player who really had no intention to sign here anyway, they invested about a 110 million on and for their two biggest stars. Not to mention making numerous other moves that should and could pay off very handsomely.
I can't definitely see a possibility of a second coming of a "Why Not" team with this roster.
I'm looking forward to the season starting!
THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN HOPING TO HERE. THANKS ROCH. Like I said before, Andy is sticking to his plan and putting together the team the right way no matter what they unprofessional low life idiots on the end of the radio dial say. What are they going to complain about now? I to hear the complain about not getting press pass and the O's not talking to them. I wouldn't talk to them until they grow up.
GREAT NEWS.
JO
Hey Jack when the O's start winning again don't you dare come to the ball park because I will personaly throw your butt out.
Jack,
Guess you will never be happy, why even bother pal? Just go to www.newyorkyakees.com and order your #13 A-Rod jersey, and grab a cap too... Brian Cashman and Hank Stienbrenner could use your insight. You could head to Tampa and tell everyone how great the Yankees are for spending 300 million dollars on 3 players and how great it is to be able to buy a championship... Oh wait they haven't won anything in close to a decade... Good OLD GEORGE, GOOD OLD BRIAN... Guess you think Cashman should be fired too...
Roch I live for your updates bro, thanks have a dirty martini on me tonight you've earned it!
While they may be overpaying him by a million or two a year, I think it's a great move. Giving him that extra money shows both loyalty and a willingness to dish out the cash when necessary. Let's be honest, this team is substantially worse off without Roberts.
So...do you think signing Roberts and Markakis will help reel in some big name free agents in a couple years, or do you think that we need to get back to winning first? Actually...better question is, which is more important in attracting big names? What'd ya think Roch?
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You can look at it both ways. Free agents hopefully see that the Orioles are committed to winning, especially by locking up Markakis long before he was eligible for free agency. At the same time, it would be nice if free agents couldn't use the excuse when dissing the Orioles that they wanted to go to a team that could win right away. - Roch
What a relief...
After not being on the internet at all today, I get to work tonight and see the news...it was looming last night, but when it becomes official I will be happy...
This gives the Orioles now a solid leadoff man for the next 4 years and an answer at 2nd base....
McPhail keep up the good work, retooling the roster...
O's in contention in 2011!!!
Thanks Roch, as always you do a he** of a job on the blog...
Birdland just wouldn't have the right feel without B-Rob there in the orange and black....thank the Lord!!
Jack, you wanted the Orioles to sign Brian Roberts, they did, but you still aren't happy? The Orioles have had their best offseason in the last 10 years, but you still aren't happy? You don't like that the Orioles didn't sign Roberts in December. Two months later and possibly millions of dollars cheaper and Jacks not happy. When I read that Roberts was getting ready to sign, I could not wait to read your response. You didn't disapoint. As Tom C. always says...... Jack, you are an idiot
jack, "wouldn't get nothing"....lol you really are an idiot dbag and your posts get more painful to read by the second.
Now go eat that crow.
Roberts DIDN'T want to sign in December, he WANTED to see the direction of the team. OBVIOUSLY the moves Andy made were GREAT in his eyes or he wouldn't of re-signed here.
Hmmm, let's see here. Roberts appreciates the moves and wants to be here.
jack doesn't like how our offseason shaped up and nobody wants jack here.
Yeah, I'll stick with Roberts and the O's and wish this blog had an ignore function.
Extending Roberts is the right move and I'm glad it's getting done. It won't keep the O's out of last place this season, but it's one less position to worry about going forward.
Roch - I haven't posted in awhile, but have kept up with your awesome work down in Florida. Thanks.
Seems like a no brainer to resign B. Roberts, if nothing else it increased his trade value. I suspect the O's keep him though, seeing there are no other 2B's in their minor league system coming up soon who could be of any help. It will be nice when we don't have any players who have any inkling of guilt when it comes to steroids.
If not for the foresight of Ole Peter and Andrew, this deal never gets done because Roberts would already be gone. Pete nixed the deal for LaRouche - BRILLIANT !!! Then, when Andy couldn't get the haul he was looking for last year,he keeps Roberts. Now we get him resigned,which is what we wanted all along - BRILLIANT !
Plus, we get Pie and Hill anyway ! Dare I say,BRILLIANT !!!
I wanted TEX more than anyone, but if you would have told me we would have the option to make the moves we did AND extend Markaki and Brob instead, I would have chosen the latter. This is great. Good job Mcphail, I will not question you anymore. In Mcphail and Ozzie we trust. Now I hope Hill, Pauley, and Penn (or the a couple of the other Ps)can step up and we are steam-rollin towards the top (in a couple years)
Jack,
Today is Yoko Ono's birthday and you're still an idiot. You are, in fact, the Yoko Ono of Roch's Blog.
Maybe its the economy but I like to look at this as a big vote of confidence from a guy who is dying to win. I hope BRob based his decision on how he percieves this team's chance of winning over the next few years. Roberts is a rare breed you don't find much anymore in any major sports league. Great decision by all and great offseaon MacPhail. Let's build a winner.
Like every other O's fan I do like Roberts coming back. I am not a big fan of the 4/40 contract in this market but I guess dependable 2B who are great leadoff guys are hard to come by. Yes we overpaid but it was a PR move that needed to be made. How do you feel about the resigning and the contract from a baseball perspective Roch?
Good Move
The O's have the nucleas of a good ball club. Teixeira will wish he was with a team of ball players instead a collection of egos.
Great news! This was way overdue. BRob is worth every penny of that contract! Seems like everyone (EVEN JACK!) Likes this deal.
Now let's play some baseball!
Go Orioles!
Funny... JACK even found negative things to say about this deal. JACK reminds me of the 14 year old kid who calls up the talk radio station and says "Jim Traber stinks. Why don't we trade him to the Yankees for Don Mattingly?" Hey JACK, why don't you enlighten us as to what would qualify as a *good* organizational move? Oh, wait... it was a good move in December but a bad move now. You are flopping around just like A-Rod at his press conference. Maybe JACK and A-Rod are the same person. I've never seen them post on the same blog at the same time. Hey JACK, are you one of the few faithfuls you mention? You sure seem to talk like an anti-fan, but you talk nonetheless. Maybe you're a Yankees fan. No, that wouldn't work, all you would say is that the Yankees are Gods and everyone else sucks. You write intelligently, even though your points are quite fallacious. Ah... you write intelligently, you spew negativity and discord, and nothing is ever good enough for you. You must be a college professor somewhere, probably political science. Ha, I've got you figured out now, JACK. Wheeeee! I can move on now. :)
Oh Jack, you big kidder!
And here I thought that you didnt think we were a rebuilding team all this time! I mean, with one hand you're saying that the Orioles should have spent money on over priced free agents like Burnett and Texeira, (a decidedly un-rebuilding club move), and with the other hand you're saying that we SHOULDN'T spend money on guys like Roberts because we're rebuilding?
Did you consider that all of the players that the Cubs were offering for Roberts last year are no longer on their roster? Perhaps... as much as it pains you, you MIGHT have to admit McPhail did something good! Oh, wait, thats impossible for you, I forgot!
Some people you just can never please!
Unless he's just pulling our collective legs!
Yeah, that's the ticket!
In Andy We Trust.
I think we can all stop holding our breath now!!
Great move by the O's and I am sure Roch is happy he can finally report this to us.
And Jack is still complaining!! I wonder if the O's can ever do anything that would be a good move in Jack's opinion.
Jack,
I don't see Tom C. on this string of comments yet, so in his absence I wanted to remind you that you are still an idiot!!
Roch,
Thanks for keeping us informed...Keep 'em coming!!
Hey Roch,
I think it is a very good move on the O's part and also a good sign that Brob thinks the team is turning the corner. The Orioles executive team is finally making good, solid decisions that will help this club compete sooner then later.
The 1 thing I would like to see is Brob introduced on opening day with a big "C" on his jersey. Any Chance?
In this market it is an incredible deal for Roberts. Incredible.
Great signing albeit 2 mil per too high. Roberts is about the third best 2nd baseman in the league. I commend McPhail for the signing. I don't see McPhail doing this on his own. My guess is Angelos made him give that much money to Roberts. People have the wrong idea about Angelos. I just think he did not have the right front office in place before. He has the right man now.
If not for the foresight of Ole Peter and Andrew, this deal never gets done because Roberts would already be gone. Pete nixed the deal for LaRouche - BRILLIANT !!! Then, when Andy couldn't get the haul he was looking for last year,he keeps Roberts. Now we get him resigned,which is what we wanted all along - BRILLIANT !
Plus, we get Pie and Hill anyway ! Dare I say,BRILLIANT !!!
Jak,
If you were on that fight that landed safely in the Hudson a couple weeks back, you would have bitched at Sully for getting your shoes wet.
When the best moves that a last-place team makes are resigning its own players, that's called treading water, or rearranging the deck chairs.
Only when a team's fans have grown accustomed to losing its best players does retaining the core of a last-place team make its fans happy.
Even if Weiters and Jones and Pie and Arrieta and Tillman and Matusz--none of whom has ever had one successful season in the major leagues--pan out to Orioles' fans' wildest expectations, they are still at best a fourth-place team, unless they also supplement these guys with some Teixeira-level talent in free agency.
'Til then, enjoy last place. Again.
Jack...you are a freaking dingbat....I do not know where you escaped from but go back.......your point of view sucks...your negative attitude sucks..if you hate the O's so much and all the organization does then get a new team...cause you are wasting your time trying to stop the rest of us O's lovers with your crap...
As a fan, I love it. He's a great player, plays the game the right way, and a fan favorite here.
Given the current market, he's overpaid. I hope (on multiple levels) that we start winning, drawing the fans to the park, and will be able to afford more key pieces through 2013. On the other hand, looking at the laughable contract Renteria got from the Giants, B-Rob is not at all overpaid.
Jack, you're hilarious.
Trembly + McPhail = The Way Forward.
good grief do you really have to post
J A C K'S ? What do you call his posts anyway?
Good Grief . GO O'S
Did anyone here ever consider that dissing Jack, making fun of his apparent lack of baseball intellect, etc., is EXACTLY what he wants? He reminds me of the kid on the playground, who nobody liked, but would constantly find ways to either get in trouble, or would eat mud pies, just to get attention. If we want to stop his meaningless, juvenile diatribes, just ignore him. Every blog has a "Jack". Let's put our "Jack" back in his box.
Roch, way to go on your reporting. As a fan since the age of 7, when we moved to Balmer in 1966, and having seen the O's greats, it is refreshing to see Andy going back to the Oriole way, and it is a treat to see a reporter with not only factual reporting, but an obvious true love for the game and the O's, that doesn't come across as "homer-ism". Keep up the good work!!
Great move to round out a really stellar offseason! Sure, he is worth about $4-5 million less than what he got but I would rather someone like Roberts get paid a little extra than some bullpen hack or mercenary. Plus Roberts can help make that money back whereas most players can't. I have not felt this positive about the Orioles in 10 years- even during the little first half streaks, you knew it was a mirage. This is building. Sadly, we may not ever win a championship but I am fairly certain we will see a lot of good baseball. Will that be enough for some of you? Looking forward to a meaningful game in September some day!
I think we overpaid by 10 million. I love the idea of bringing BRob back but we used up alot of resources. No way he was getting this much on the open market.
Roch,
"Ain't the beer cold." It doesn't get much better than this, and a four year $40 million contract is allot fairer to both the club and BRob than the two year $25 million deal rumored last year.
The only thing personnel wise that would make this club more competitive would to bring in Pudge with the same type of contract offer the Marlins are offering, one year at or near the veterans minimum, it would give us a strong right handed bat, two veteran players at this critical position, and valuable trade bait when Weiters comes up later.
The man wants a chance to prove himself and he could certainly get it in this camp.
You know if you read some of Jacks later blogs I believe you will find a backhanded compliment or two for Mr. MacPhail, it feels really strange to even come close to agreeing with him on something, Roch do you have any of those antiseptic wipes you could recommend I feel kinda dirty.
Thanks Leon
Roch,
This is totally unrelated to the blog, but I was wondering if there's ever a chance to O's will bring back an orange jersey as an alternate. Most other teams have 2 alternates. What do you think?
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If my memory isn't failing me, they have orange practice jerseys that can be worn in games, too. - Roch
Jack's a dumby
YAY!!!! sooo happy! omg roch that you so much! you just brought a HUGE smile to my face!
by any chance are you going to be at fanfest?!?!?
for once not blogging from school!
Becky
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I'll be there. Say hi if you see me. - Roch
Roch, Great article about Roberts & all the positive implacations..... It's a good day in Oriole-land !!!....... Perhaps Roberts is more optimistic about the clubs future, HOWEVER, where is he going to get a deal like that elsewhere ???? ...... Please tell me how many major league second baseman make 10 million per yr., (Next Yr the count is one I think) & Roberts is getting 10 mill for 4 yrs. ......So....thanks for staying Brian, we love you,..... but.....did we really have to twist your wrist that much ?......I think not !!!
It looks like I'm not alone in praising this likely move. Brian Roberts has a good work ethic and very valuable as a player. If Baltimore traded him, I think many of us would indeed not recognize who the Orioles were.
I still think Roch writes the Jack posts just to stir the pot.
WOO HOO!!!!!!!
This is HUGE!!!!
BRob IS Baltimore!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g07i7rtXemg
There has been a lot of talk on sports radio up here about the Ravens situation with Ray Lewis and the bulldogg said one thing that I think is comparable to the Brian Roberts situation:
"Tell me the name of the person that you could replace Ray (Brian) with in free agency?"
For all of you thinking of the answer, its really simple: you can't. What I think is even more relevant about that statement with BR is you can't replace him through the draft because unlike footbal, you need 3-4 yrs for a player to be Major League ready. B-Rob is worth 40 over four to the O's because they could not replace him as a player, as a team leader, as a franchise face, or as a community leader for that. the publicity/marketing will pay for the contract. Not that I believe thae Boras statement about a "certain client" but B-Rob will pay for his contract and then some...
Only slightly off topic--Pedroia as MVP was ridiculous. Stupidest MVP voting in years.
Just had to get that off my chest.
Good deal for Roberts and the Orioles.
I have respect for Jack in two ways, regardless of his attitude:
1) Jack is a human being, and deserving of respect for that (or maybe he's a cyborg)
2) Jack, despite his bile and disdain for MacPhail and Angelos, is an Orioles fan and wants the Orioles to succeed.
It reminds me of the child whose daddy is never home, always makes empty promises, never delivers on them, never goes to see the first game, first concert, etc. The child has gotten older (not grown up) and has become so accustomed to disappointment that he must inflict his disappointment and bitterness on others that daddy still hasn't come home.
(I have a feeling this is going to turn into a rant of economic stimulus proportions, feel free to stop reading if you have the attention span of a gnat)
We are all like Thomas, forever doubting, needing some tangible thing to keep our respective hopes alive. For a game marked by the near-omnipresence of failure, the beautiful thing about baseball is that every spring, there is hope. All 30 teams are 0-0 on opening day, tied for first place, tied for last place. On paper, it may look like winning is impossible night to night, month to month, season by season, but as the cliche goes, the games aren't played on paper. Miraculous, magical, spectacular, mundane things happen every night that you haven't seen before or since, but it all seems the same somehow. As amazing a story as the Rays were last year, we've had the Rockies and Tigers in previous years, and going back the '14 Braves, '24 Senators, '44 Browns, '55 Dodgers, '69 Mets (shudder), etc. I've been hooked on baseball since I was in diapers. I studied the backs of baseball cards, listened to every west coast game on the radio when I was supposed to be asleep, constantly re-read SI's special issue on the 30 greatest teams of all time hoping to find a detail I'd missed, read Jack Zanger's "The Brooks Robinson Story" obsessively, even though I was born after he'd retired. My mom always tells me that my first word when I was a baby was Oriole (says something about my parents' fanship, too!), and that signaled a lifelong love affair with the game as well as my favorite team. I'm sure we all have our stories of how we got hooked (maybe that would make for a good blog topic when most of the spring training stories have been resolved).
Recently I've come to the idea that Yankee fans (and probably our current generation of sawx fans) will never know what it's like to be a true baseball fan - baseball is defined mostly by failure, and a true baseball fan learns so much about struggle, loyalty, and, most of all, how to cope with failure through that of their team. For most of us who are fans of a non-Steinbrenner team, our hopes are constantly raised and dashed with a long winning or losing streak that can mean the glory or doom of the team. As we endure year after year of losing and see our friends celebrate the triumph of their bandwagon team (how many MD sawx fans have sprung up out of the woodwork in the last decade?), we begin to lose heart, lack faith, and wonder if our loyalties are best served elsewhere. How do we deal with this failure? Do we submit to doom and gloom, sulk about and inflict others with the same?
Ask Jack.
The answer can really be found in Roch's readership numbers (and Schmuck's, too). It's obvious that both the koolaids and the naysayers are passionate about baseball, and the O's, even though it's sometimes hidden behind blind adulation or pure vitriol. We all have hope, or want to have hope, and are searching for signs of it. It's been said that baseball allegiance is like religion - most people are born into both, and it takes an act of God to change them. I'm a Catholic, and if I found that the devil was behind the Church, I'd probably become an Episcopal or find a different church to latch on to. If I found out that the devil was running the Orioles (and I know what some of you are going to say already...), I'd probably ask Roch about the ownership ramifications for uniform changes, marvel at our "flamethrowers" and wonder whether tridents were legal for usage as bats.
Sorry about the rant, I just get very excited every year when Spring Training comes around and sometimes I get carried away and have to share that joy with random people that I've never met and likely won't. If you don't still get the Opening Day jitters, feel free to ridicule me at your leisure.
To anyone who would suggest that Orioles management, particularly Andy MacPhail, drug their feet on the Brian Robert's signing . . . . just remember one thing. Brian Roberts would have become a free agent at the end of this season. Need we be reminded(think Mark Teixeira) players are free to negotiate with anyone in MLB at that time.
When this deal goes down it will be a clear indication of two things. First, the Orioles have chosen to continue to employ Brian Roberts. Big first step in the process. They believe he has value and will continue to be an integral part of the organization for the remainder of his new contract. Secondly, Brian Roberts has chosen the Orioles, much like Nick Markakis did a month ago.
His signing suggests that Brian believes that this team is about to turn the corner and win once again. Remember he stated clearly, over a year ago, that he wanted to sign with a winner. I'm guessing he wasn't sure about that in December. Why? Well, think back to the first of the year. Orioles fans were all trying to digest the fact that the preferred "hometown" boy never did like the Orioles and to add insult to injury, wore a Yankees hat to O's games as a kid. We hadn't signed anyone. Morale on this blog hit a new low. On a daily basis, people were agreeing with AM's harshest critic on this blog, that he was not the man for the job. Since we have added Uehara, Wiggington, and Zaun through free agency and secured two players (Pie and Hill) who may only need a change of scenery and a strong dose of patience from their employer to reach their potential.
So regardless of how methodical Andy MacPhail is, and I think we all recognize that and should accept and expect it, it's the end result that counts. From the beginning of AM's brief tenure I have liked his end result. I liked the Tejada and Bedard trades and I'm really liking the Markakis and Roberts signings.
Give Nick Markakis credit for "choosing" the Orioles. I would suggest that some here should go back and read what he said about Andy MacPhail the day he officially signed his extension. Give Brian Robert's credit for "choosing" the Orioles and listen carefully to what he has to say about Andy MacPhail and the future of the Orioles when he finally croosses the T's and dots the I's on a new contract!!!
To Jeff V and anyone else who thinks signing Brian Roberts to a four year extension is too long . . . .
If you look at Brian's career he had his best season in 2005. 2008 was a very close second and somewhat better than 2006 and 2007. In my opinion, Brian is one of the top five 2nd basemen in the game, top three in leadoff hitters, and though I really don't see much of the NL certainly one of the best baserunners in the game. His defense is way above average.
To suggest that in five years he will be league average and Jeter-like defensively is a real stretch. First, Brian respects the game and works very hard during the off-season to prepare. Secondly, he's a highly motivated athlete(Ramon Hernandez and Miguel Tejada were not). I don't see signing a big contract changing Brian's motivation or preparation.
So to suggest that his skills will deteriorate so quickly is foolishness. I just don't see it happening. And you know what, even if he is league average in five years, in my mind it wouldn't matter. For two reasons. #1 it's not my money and #2 his signing goes way beyond whatever numbers he produces in the next five years.
Hey DMG... there's an empty desk at the back of the room near JACK. You should go sit there.
Taking the afternoon off from the School left me behind on this assignment and there isn't really anything I can add that hasn't already been said... other than to say that I'm in the camp that agrees this is a good deal for BOTH sides!!
Just following up on what another blogger asked, is Flanagan at camp??
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Haven't seen him. - Roch
For a guy that works so hard on his game, DID HE LEARN TO BUNT YET??? My dad taught me how to bunt when I was 8 years old!