4:58pm: Roberts has been told a trade is on the one yard line, MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports (on Twitter).
4:39pm: The Diamondbacks announced that they designated Ryan Roberts for assignment. The move creates roster space for John McDonald, who's returning from the 15-day disabled list, and will spark trade talk involving Roberts.
The Tigers and Rays appear to have interest in Roberts, so Arizona GM Kevin Towers has at least two potential trade partners (the Tigers' interest was reported before they acquired Omar Infante; it may have faded since). Roberts, 31, has handled second and third for the Diamondbacks this year while posting a .250/.306/.357 batting line in 280 plate appearances. He earns $2.01MM in 2012 and will remain under team control through 2015.
vtadave
Guess his stock has dropped a bit this year.
rfffr
I guess they believe in Wheeler
Ben Feller
they should believe in him. look at his stats with Reno this year.
Lunchbox45
He’ll be on the rays by friday
TimotheusATL
so i assume we can pretty much book roberts to the rays? seems like there’s zero chance he’d clear waivers, just a question of whether he’d fall to them in the line.
mgsports
He will be a Ray by Tomorrow in a Blockbuster including Upton or Kubel.
rfffr
I don’t think the Diamondbacks have room for Bossman Junior
TimotheusATL
i think he meant the other upton. either way, yeah, no.
Ausome7
I think he meant Justin upton, the rays have a good enough farm system to get upton and would give them a better offense which is essential
ctownboy
Roberts and Justin Upton for James Shields?
Thinking maybe the Upton brothers would perform better if they were together?
mmiller54
Shields wouldn’t net Upton by himself. I think if the Rays want Upton, Hellickson is the centerpiece, maybe Hak Ju Lee is in there (or Zobrist), and more.
SFrush90
Not. Even. Close.
DerekJeterDan
The Giants won the World Series by picking up a glue guy like Cody Ross who had a track record but was struggling off of waivers. Ryan Roberts in my opinion is that type of player. A contending team would be really smart to pick him up. He’s extremely versatile, a fan favorite (well liked in Arizona for sure) and at 31 years old I think he is having his once every other season off year. If he still has something left in the tank., he could come to some interested team (Rays?) at a bargain and pay dividends. I can name a lot of teams in baseball who are carrying worse backup infielders / utility guys.
He is currently a -0.2 0WAR player and produced a 2.8 OWAR last season.
First Bleed
Ryan Roberts – ‘who had a track record’? Of what? He has a career .250 avg. and a total of 35HR… This man has no ‘track record’, unless you mean terrible. He had ONE good (not great) season. That is all.
thatonephillyfan
Good call.
diesel2410
Rays for sure. Sad that he’s batting higher than half our lineup
Manfrenjensen
Have neck tattoo, will travel.
mgsports
They have Young and Parra for CF and at the moment Drew and Hill at SS and 2B so need for BJ Upton but the Rays could give up Archer/Cobb and so on for a start for Justin Upton/Roberts.
rfffr
Diamondbacks don’t need pitchers.
TheReturnOfMrBlanks
Blue 32 …… Hut hut…3B sneak is on baby
Sean Martin
I have always liked Roberts and think he could offer the Reds a few things.
danistheguy
Roberts/Steve Pearce swap with O’s. Calling it.
Lookouts400
It’s possible. Roch Kubatco of MASN says the Orioles are exploring trade options for Pearce. The question is, do the D-Backs need an outfielder? They have Kubel, Upton(who will not be traded) and Young, with Parra there also, why woould they need Pearce? The Orioles could use a third baseman, Betemit is there pretty much full time now, and isn’t an instant out, but seems mildly indifferent at third. Would R-Rob be better than Betemit? And just think, if R-Rob does come here, they could have R-Rob and B-Rob, if Brian ever comes back.
danistheguy
True, good points. I just can’t help but think DD loves him some utility infielders, so it could make sense. But you’re right, maybe it doesn’t match up.
Lookouts400
I think Double D likes UT guys but would rather have someone who can be out there full time. If Brian Roberts was playing at something approaching his former self, and Reynolds was banging HRs and Betemit was playing well, would Double D be so in search of a UT guy? The only reason he got Omar was to provide a real SS to back up Hardy, any coincidence that JJ got his day off in months less than a week after Omar comes along?
Marvin Marshall
The Dbacks don’t need another OF with AJ Pollock & Adam Eaton waiting in the wings. If anything, they need to move an OF(CY).
danistheguy
He can hang out with Reynolds, former snake.
TimotheusATL
he’s active on his own twitter. thanking arizona fans and such. i assume we’ll know something pretty soon.
55saveslives
Aww Crapballs!! Please NO Sabean!!
Gumby65
He’s not 38. 😉
Dick Grayson
He’s definitely not going to the Yankees. I think they have a policy against tattoos covering 99% of a players body. Maybe he should retire and join a bike gang or an art museum.
Michael Brown
Farnsworth played for the Yanks…
TimotheusATL
guess you never really noticed aj burnett or kyle farnsworth. classy comment, though.
Dick Grayson
Roberts has more tattoos than Burnett and Farnsworth COMBINED.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Wait, which one yard line? Are they about to score a touchdown? Or are they backed up in their own end in danger of taking a safety? Knowing the snakes it’s probably the latter.
3runhomer
He is now a Tampa Bay Ray.
corey23
The Dodgers seem like a good fit to me, given Roberts’ neck tattoos. Dodgers fans will love those and feel like they are a part of the team
Michael Brown
It’s going to be Atlanta, picking up Roberts is a very Frank Wren move. Slots in Diaz’s bench slot.
Tyler 20
i was thinking this too
Leo Ramos
all right, i declare this year´s deadline moves as the rarest deadline moves in a long time
DCNATS
ok ill bite why would you get rid of Roberts to bring 37 year old career avg 239 25 HRs over 900 games McDonald how is he even on any big league team i don’t get it??????
Roberts off bench since break 5 for 6 .429 last 7 days 275 avg in July avg up 20 points last 30 days much better UT guy than McDonald, we would love to have him here in DC over De Rosa off bench salary high but otherwise not a bad UT player
GRINGOMHT
Wheeler will get his at bats but watch for Bloomquist to take over 3rd with Mcdonald coming back he’ll back up Drew.
popular_mechanics_for_pitchers
His defense. KT also loves the player coach types.
3runhomer
The deal is complete. He will be a Tampa Bay Ray after the game tonight. That is a solid pickup for Tampa. Their batting averages are pretty pathetic…so anything is an upgrade over half their lineup.
Ron Opher
I predict Tat-man will be a Nat-Man…good fit with Desmond out, Espinosa can shift to SS and then later Roberts is a good utility type. Desmond may miss more than a month if his oblique is torn as they say, rather than just strained.