 Steve Ruark/AP |
Brian Roberts
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Okay, so there didn't seem to be too much interest in Adrian Beltre. How about we up the ante a little bit? Brian Roberts was linked to frequent rumors last Spring with the Chicago Cubs. At the time it was rumored that the Orioles were looking to trade most of their veterans, but no real deals went through. The latest rumors on Roberts are mixed as some say he's working on an extension with the Orioles and others say he's available for the right deal.
Positives: He's pretty much everything you could want in a second baseman. His defense is solid and he has an excellent bat. His on-base skill and his speed make him a perfect fit for the lead-off spot. His skills remind me a lot of Barry Larkin. Not coincidentally, Larkin is his #4 comp on Baseball Reference.
Negatives: Trading for Roberts would force a move of Brandon Phillips to shortstop, which some might not like, but I support. Such a move would require the Reds to either eat or dump Alex Gonzalez's $5.4 million contract. Being that Roberts is an All Star caliber player, his cost might likely be too high to be worth trading for just one year of service. His name was included in the Mitchell Report.
Possible Alternatives: Orlando Hudson (Free Agent), Rafael Furcal (Free Agent), Jerry Hairston (Free Agent), David Eckstein (Free Agent), Adam Kennedy (STL),
Fun Fact: His .516 OPS against the Reds is the second lowest against any team for Roberts (behind STL - .333). Just think of how much better he'll hit when he doesn't have to face the Reds pitchers 14 times over his next 4000+ plate appearances
Who would you be willing to give up to acquire Roberts? Would you want the deal to include a contract extension right off the bat? If you think he's worth acquiring, try to make your deal suggestions realistic from the Orioles perspective. If you don't think he's worth acquiring, is it because you think the Reds are set in the middle infield or because you don't particularly want Roberts?