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Brian Roberts

Orioles Notes: Chen, Roberts, Peterson

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Luke Scott hit 84 home runs with the Orioles from 2008-11, but his next homer will come as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. The 33-year-old agreed to terms with the Rays earlier today. Here's the latest on his former team… 

  • Left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has “a good fastball and very good control and a good breaking ball,” GM Dan Duquette told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. Chen is a polished pitcher with the physical skills to become a frontline starter, Duquette said. The GM is looking to add durable arms to his rotation, since Jeremy Guthrie was the lone Baltimore pitcher to reach the 200-inning threshold in 2011.
  • The Orioles remain concerned about Brian Roberts’ health and are looking for a leadoff hitter, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com tweets. He suggests Endy Chavez projects as the team’s leadoff hitter at this point.
  • The Orioles have been negotiating with former Mets, Brewers and Athletics pitching coach Rick Peterson for more than a week about a pitching role within the organization, Connolly tweets. Duquette remains hopeful that the sides will agree to a deal.

Beltway Notes: Strasburg, Livan, MacPhail, Roberts

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The Nationals took a 63-73 record into today's action, putting them on pace to finish with a better record than the Orioles (55-81) for the sixth time since the Nats moved to Washington after the 2004 season.  Of course, since neither team has topped the .500 mark in that stretch, the Battle of the Beltways isn't exactly recognized as a top-tier baseball rivalry.

Here are the latest items about the Nats and the O's….

  • Stephen Strasburg talks to The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore about his year-long rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery.  Strasburg is scheduled to make his 2011 debut on Tuesday against the Dodgers, and is penciled in for three more starts in September if things proceed as planned.  Strasburg is on a 60-pitch limit for Tuesday and will be on an innings cap for the 2012 season.
  • Livan Hernandez will be shut down after his start on Sunday so the Nationals can take look at some younger pitchers, reports MLB.com's Bill Ladson.  Hernandez agreed to the move and will be "a mentor/coach" for the club's young pitchers, perhaps with an eye towards a coaching job after his retires.  Hernandez wants to return to Washington next season and has even offered to pitch middle relief, noting he will not go to the bullpen for any other team. 
  • If Hernandez doesn't re-sign, Adam Kilgore hears from a source that the Marlins are the top candidates to sign the veteran hurler. 
  • With Andy MacPhail rumored to be leaving at the end of the season, MASNsports.com's Amber Theoharis looks back at MacPhail's three best moves as the Orioles' president of baseball operations. 
  • This is probably no surprise given MacPhail's possible departure, but Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun expects "a significant front office overhaul" in Baltimore.  In that same piece, Zrebiec also discusses how Kevin Gregg is a popular clubhouse figure and a valuable mentor to the Orioles' young pitchers, but the right-hander is having a difficult time closing games.  Gregg is under contract for $5.8MM in 2012, with a $6MM club option for 2013.
  • Also from Zrebiec, Brian Roberts has been told by doctors that his concussion problems shouldn't be career-ending.  The second baseman hasn't played since May 16 after suffering his second concussion in as many seasons.

AL East Notes: Roberts, Lester, Nova

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Curtis Granderson added to his MVP-caliber season with home run number 32 today and he now has a .276/.367/.584 line. He'll receive MVP consideration after the season, along with division rivals including Jose Bautista, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ben Zobrist. Here's the latest on the AL East…

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Roberts, Yankees

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The Blue Jays announced today that they’re going to retire Roberto Alomar’s number 12 later this month. When the former second baseman gets enshrined in Cooperstown over the weekend, he’ll become the first inductee to wear a Blue Jays cap into the Hall. A week later, he’ll become the first Blue Jay to have his number retired. Here are links from around the American League East… 

  • The Red Sox are actively looking to improve their roster, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Though Boston has made moves out of necessity in recent years, this summer is one of opportunity for Boston's front office, Speier writes. Left-handed relief remains one unsettled area for the first place club. 
  • The Orioles announced that they transferred second baseman Brian Roberts to the 60-day DL to create 40-man roster space for Alfredo Simon, who was reinstated from the restricted list. 
  • The Yankees are unwilling to trade a "big" prospect for a reliever, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com (on Twitter). They expect their bullpen will be fine and are searching for starters (though Ubaldo Jimenez remains a longshot). 
  • The Yankees have been suggesting to teams that they're happy with their bullpen, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com.

Orioles Notes: Guthrie, Roberts, Minor Leagues

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The Nationals may be generating most of the headlines today, but there's also some news coming from the Beltway's other team.  Here's the latest from the Orioles…

  • Jeremy Guthrie is perhaps Baltimore's most attractive trade candidate, but MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli doesn't think the right-hander will be moved.  "It would take a significant haul on the Orioles' side to give up Guthrie," Ghiroli writes, and she also points out that Guthrie is the only veteran and only innings-eater on the club's pitching staff.  Ghiroli cites the Indians and Rangers among the teams who have shown interest in Guthrie.  
  • From that same mailbag item, Ghiroli thinks the Orioles should start looking for a new long-term answer at second base.  Brian Roberts will be 36 when his deal runs out after the 2013 season and the former All-Star is already a question mark due to injuries.  Short-term, however, the O's have no second base prospects ready to step in and Roberts has a no-trade clause in his contract.
  • The lack of minor league production from several of the Orioles' top prospects "has to be considered an organizational-wide failure," writes The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec.  The development system has been further skewed since "for years, Oriole minor leaguers have been getting promotions because of a desperate need at the big league level, not because they’ve necessarily earned a shot."

Odds & Ends: Weeks, Castro, Roberts, Piniella

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Lots of rainouts in Florida, so here are some links to get you through the day…

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Roberts, Giles, Amaro

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On this date nine years ago, the Astros signed Richard Hidalgo to a four-year, $32MM contract. At the time, it was the third-richest contract in franchise history, behind only Jeff Bagwell's five-year, $85MM deal and Craig Biggio's four-year, $33MM deal. Hidalgo would go on to hit .266/.342/.475 with 87 home runs during the life of the deal, though he was dealt to the Mets mid-way through the 2004 season.

Here's a look at what's been written around the web…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Roberts Injury May Prompt Orioles To Explore Trade Market

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Orioles president Andy MacPhail says the Orioles are now considering contingency plans in case second baseman Brian Roberts is not ready for the start of the season, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.  Roberts is dealing with a herniated disc in his back, and also had a bad reaction to medication he took for the injury.

According to Zrebiec, "MacPhail said he might start having his scouts look at who is available on the trade market along with exploring internal options."  Current Orioles Robert Andino, Ty Wigginton, and Justin Turner have experience at second base.

My own speculation on potential second base trade candidates brings five names: Julio Lugo, Delwyn Young, Ramon Vazquez, Augie Ojeda, and Gregorio Petit.

Discussion: Dan Uggla

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His name is Dan Uggla, and he can be had for the right price this offseason.  The 29-year-old Florida second baseman has 121 homers and an .826 OPS in his four major league seasons, but between his war of words with Marlins franchise player Hanley Ramirez and the $7-8MM he is likely to earn in arbitration, rumors have been swirling that the Fish are looking to move Uggla out of south Florida before he becomes too pricey for their taste.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, Twins, Giants and Diamondbacks as possible suitors for Uggla in an article last month.  The Snakes may be out of the running now since, as reported by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona will likely look at internal candidates to play second base.  Baltimore already has Brian Roberts entrenched at second, but if Uggla was interested in moving to third base he would surely become attractive to even more clubs.

Of the clubs on Rosenthal's list, Minnesota stands out since it's unusual for the small-market Twins to be looking at picking up high-priced talent, rather than moving it themselves.  But with Target Field opening in 2010, the Twins may have some extra revenue to spend on both picking up the tab for Uggla and (the team's top priority) signing Joe Mauer to a long-term contract.  Minnesota has holes at both second and third that Uggla could fill.

Would Uggla fit best on one of the aforementioned six clubs, or is there another team out there with both the money and the need for a slugging second (or third) baseman?

Odds & Ends: O’s, Josh Johnson, Yankees, Red Sox

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A busy Sunday morning has made for some some discussable items from around the league:

  • Rick Dempsey of MASN is excited by the Orioles future and says it is undoubtedly time for the team to trade, highlighting George Sherrill, Jeremy Guthrie, Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora.
  • Carlos Frias of the Palm Beach Post notes A.J. Burnett has regrets over leaving the Marlins and burning his bridges in the process.
  • After Josh Johnson beat the Yankees yesterday, Mike Feinsand of the New York Daily News says, "Hope you got a good look, Yankees fans. You may have been watching your future ace."
  • River Ave. Blues thinks trading Xavier Nady makes sense despite Buster Olney having said, "The Yankees are unlikely to trade Nick Swisher of Xavier Nady after Nady returns."
  • Not a trade rumor, but Manny Ramirez is set to begin a minor-league stint on Tuesday in Albuquerque, says The Tribune-Review.
  • Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe says (via Twitter, of course) "Daisuke [Matsuzaka] to DL. [Catching prospect] Dusty Brown up with the team for the first time." She continues, "About to talk to Daisuke. Will get quotes to you shortly. [Sox manager Terry Francona] said he doesn't think this will be a two-week DL." While the Sox still have rotation depth, this surely effects any perceived sense of urgency to deal.
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