I don't have a problem with Traschel starting opening day as long as it is for Norfolk.

It's going to be a sad sad day in Baltimore when B-Rob leaves. Man I wish the O's were better and we never had to send away Bedard and now probably Roberts. What a depressing thought on my favorite holiday!

I am sad now : (

So despite the fact that Trachsel was a generally ineffective pitcher last year, and has been ineffective this spring they want to name him opening day starter?

If we have Albers, Olson, Liz, Penn and Johnson all starting at Norfolk then Trachsel needs to not be on this team at all. His last actually good year was what 2003? In his prime he was a #3 on a good rotation. Wouldn't the spot be better used for someone with some upside?

Isn't the manager and the I don't know, maybe the pitching coach supposed to be the vetern influence on the team?

I predict Trax will be out, either on the DL or passed through waivers by the all star break.

If Trachsel is starting opening day I'll have two lower level box seats for sale.

Roch, sounds like you know stuff you can't talk about. I'll take your word that the Cub deal is imminent. Sounds like Marquis may be coming this way... Cedeno too. Seems like the deal is done... they just have to cross t's and dot i's.

Doesn't Troy Patton go on the 60-man DL too?

Sean Gallagher, huh?

I think I like Albers better, actually.

Unreal that we have to watch someone start opening day that couldn't even get a major league contract when Boston has 5 No. 1pitchers.

I guess the positive is that's the most promising Orioles AAA rotation I can remember in a very long time. And even if they all start there, most will get a shot in Baltimore by season's end. There are simply too many innings to cover, especially with Loewen, Cabrera, and even Trachsel rarely pitching late into games. I wouldn't be surprised if no one on the roster makes it to 200 IP this year, as Cabrera and Guthrie are about the only ones I could see making it to that mark.

Roch, if you're right about Roberts being traded and the 5th starter not being on the roster, I guess my hope is that it's a young guy we get back in a Roberts deal. That would mean more flexibility in starting pitching assignments, as we can ship guys like that down to AAA to call up fresh arms more easily. Can't do that with a veteran like Trachsel, leading to phantom DL stints. The hope would be that giving enough young guys opportunities will sort out a solid 2009 rotation.

Enjoy your day off, Roch!

Great stuff Roch , I would love for your prognostications to become reality , I think they are the best moves possible for an exciting year..........Keep'm coming..........

"There's plenty of sentiment within the organization to have Trachsel make the Opening Day start as the veteran presence in the rotation."

Well, I suppose we could start with the #4 starter and work backwards to #1. Why not come out with new uniforms emblazoned with the team name "Seloiro?"

That might not be a bad thing as a reminder to Cal to keep getting a strong group together to complete the sale.

Can't we get "Eromitlab" on the away jerseys?

Explain to me why it isn't Guthrie as the defacto "ace" (hey, he's better than Rodrigo all those years). He had a very solid year last year and you can sort of say "the future is close" if somebody who is a part of the long term plans is in place.

So is this really just a hunch? Or is this an inside scoop that you're playing it off as a hunch Roch? :-) I'll miss B-Rob, not sure how I feel about getting rid of him. Oh well.

I've got to say...I just don't get starting Traschel on opening day. If we are committed to rebuilding than do it. The goal of a veteran starter being our opening day pitcher was blown when Bedard was shipped out of town.

I just don't see what benefit the team gets from Traschel pitching day one instead of Guthrie. Can someone explain it in a way it makes sense instead of the same old line that the press and the organiation continue to use "Veteran Presence."

Why is the front office so sold on Trachsel? Last year, I think the O's got luck with him; getting a few players for him at the trade deadline. I predict this year that he gets completely shelled. Why not give Penn, Albers, or Olson a shot in the rotation? Is this "veteran presence" so necessary that we have to have a guy with 0 stuff get pummeled every 5 days. Are we rebuilding or not?

Either Andy MacPhail was misdirecting us deliberately when he was interviewed during the O's-Nats game or he was hinting that Roberts may be going somewhere other than Chicago. He was as clear as his opaque style would permit.

Some good observations... I would agree with most of them... who do you think is coming from Cubs? Does Moore or Fahey play second? Who hits lead off? What would be your opening day lineup?

Personally, if you want to go veteran presence, I think DCab should get the start (Guthrie is still my first choice). While DCab could be beyond wild at any point, would give the better chance at a great performance. Opening day should never be given to a guy that was a minor league signing.

I hope you're wrong about Brian Roberts, Roch, unless Felix Pie is part of that deal. Andy MacPhail needs to be firm about that: ("Look, we're throwing in Jay Payton, so you have a veteran to replace Pie in the outfield. That's our offer, take it or leave it."

If the Cubs really want Roberts that much (on the postgame show yesterday, Steve Maleski suggested that Lou Pinella already has him as his projected leadoff hitter and is on the phone daily to Jim Hendry office, complaining: "Where's Brian Roberts?!"), then MacPhail MUST make them pay dearly for him.

And I think the O's are really going to need Pie, because with B-Rob gone there's going to be a big hole in the lineup, one that the team--rebuilding mode or--not simply can't afford. If he starts the season with the team, the team could be pretty good to very good, with only shortstop being a throwaway at bat.

Without Brian, however, the picture becomes a lot gloomier. He's the catalyst, and him dancing off of first or second will make most pitchers lose a little focus, helping the guy at the plate see more favorable pitch counts. So finding someone who can even come close to that is the first challenge for Dave Trembley.

But there's more to the problem than that. It's just not losing a supreme threat to steal a base, but B-Rob's ability to get on base in the first place, along with the extra base hits he provides also will be tough to replace.

Having, then, two liabilities in the lineup, one of them being the all important leadoff spot would really make things difficult. I know the team is considering Mark Loretta or Clint Barmes, the one can hit, but is closer to 40 than 30 and the other hasn't reached 30, but looks like he can't hit major league pitching. Or, as I've mentioned before, if they could get Pie, they could move Adam Jones back to his old spot at short (and move Brandon Fahey or Luis Hernandez over to second), which would I believe be a better move.
But whatever there be a trade for Roberts, it should be this week or not until after All Star break. I'm reading now that MacPhail and Hendry may not pull the trigger on this deal until the last days of camp, but that makes no sense in terms of putting a roster together for the O's (it's a lot easier for Chicago, which may already have Brian penciled in the lineup).

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/845965,CST-SPT-cub17.article

I think we should all be encouraged by Daniel's performance yesterday. For five innings he was brilliant, the stuff of which Cy Youngs are made.

Granted, it was a spring training game against the Nationals. Granted, he pitched a similar game on his last start of 2006 against the Yankees, only to come back last season and regress with a nightmare year. Granted, we all know his history is to tease the fans with hints of greatness, only to have three or four mediocre to poor outings in a row. Granted, there are times when it seems he couldn't find home plate even with GPS.

All that said, I'm thinking that a combination of a more focused determination from him to harness his limitless potential (he still has the ball from that Yankee game that Leo Mazzone autographed with a prediction of a no-hitter to come, as well as the knowledge that the older he gets, the more people are saying he'll never make it), along with his work with Rick Kranitz are, I believe, making him a better pitcher.

I know that there are plenty of naysayers out there, and I need to see much more to verify my hunch, but I'm cautiously optimistic. I'm guessing that Kranitz has been told that untapping Daniel's greatness needs to be his number one priority.

Which isn't to say he's neglecting the other hurlers he has in camp, because everyone knows that there's a lot of potential on this staff. I think Kranitz coming to the Orioles was a good career move for him, especially with the opportunity to do what Leo wasn't able to do.

D-Cab is like a top-end sports car that needs lots of TLC to achieve optimum performance and Kranitz surely realizes that he has a high maintenance pitcher on his hand. He also realizes that if he can do what Ray Miller and Mazzone were unable to do Cabrera, then he's further solidify his own reputation as one of the very best pitching coaches in the game.

As for Steve Trachsel as the Opening Day pitcher, since when "veteran presence" the determining factor for that? Memo to Front Office--Get real! If this was the criterion for that spot in the rotation, then shouldn't the Red Sox be starting Tim Wakefield instead of Dice-K on Opening Day? Shouldn't Miguel Batista get the nod over Erik Bedard in Seattle? And the clincher: Greg Maddux over Jake Peavy for the Padres? Wake up guy, you're supposed to be turning this franchise around. DO IT!

If they are going to make this deal do it sooner rather than later. The closer to opening day the harder it is to make the necessary adjustments.

Since when does being a veteran presence qualify you for being the opening day starter?

Trachsel may be needed for his veteran presence, but I do not think he should even be a starter, let alone opening day starter. Let him be the long reliever, the mop-up guy. Heaven knows we will have a great need for that this year.

Now that Baldelli is out indefinitely, could we return Huff to Tampa Bay. Maybe for a middle-infielder? They've got Bartlett and Reid Brignac, although we'd probably have to give them more than just Aubrey.

Also, I don't see why we don't let Olsen or Albers open the season as the fifth starter. Unless we get a young starter we prefer from the Cubs. I think Marquis would be a lousy addition, his best attribute is his hitting, which would be wasted here.

The O's should keep Roberts. We have enough wannabes now that develop arm trouble or control trouble. If the O's could get a certfiably ready major league player with approven track record okay but a group of young pitchers please don't do that again.

Hey Roch,

What 5 players do you see coming over for roberts and payton?

Getting rid of Payton and his .300 OBP might almost be worth trading Roberts, but I would keep Roberts unless the deal includes top SS and 2B prospects. The Cubs' offer does not interest me at all. The Orioles need someone with great plate discipline to get on base for the 2-3-4 hitters, and Roberts is that guy. He'd still have trade value at midseason, and next offseason. Plus, if he sees the team moving in the right direction, he might sign an extension to stay here, or come back as a free agent if he is dealt at some point.

"So what happens to Craig Anderson, Fredy Deza, Lance Cormier and Jon Leicester?"
To answer your question requires you to answer four questions first. 1) Do any of the above have minor league options left? B) Do any of the above have any trade value? III) Would any other team pick them up if they were designated for assignment? d) Do the O's have any interest in trying to keep these players?

Almost time to set the over/under on wins for this season! I'll make it 60, and take the under.

As for who the Orioles get back from Roberts, it doesn't really matter what position the return prospects play. All that matters it the Orioles get the best possible prospects. A team in the O's situation (one of the worst 3 or 4 teams in baseball) isn't trying to fill a need. Other than a general need for talent at nearly every position on the diamond (except CF, RF and CA).

Why would the Orioles trade Roberts when a steady, experienced second baseman is integral to work with either Luis Hernandez or Brandon Fahey? Why trade Roberts for a shortstop when you've just switched the problem spot from shortstop to second base? Does Ronny Cedeno lead off? Does he still 25-50 stolen bases every year?

Tell me one better leadoff hitter in the game?

If he's gone, the chemistry possibilties are gone too. Chemisty with a team without superstars is even more important.

Konrad Herling

Also,

If you're going to trade Brian Roberts, you should get a prize future prospect at second base and a starting pitcher. Pie is not needed at this point when Adam Jones was the key reason we traded Bedard. Our prospects, like Salazar, are at 3b.

I know playing match-ups on Games #1, 2, and 3 aren't a huge deal, BUT if Kazmir is scratched from the opening week why don't we match up better with their top three guys?

Guthrie vs. Shields
Loewen vs. Garza
D-Cab/Trax vs. Jackson/Sonnanstine

That seems to be much better match-ups to me then throwing Trax against their psuedo ace Shields...

Jennifer , don't be dismayed , you still have Mr. Huff to get behind ..........and root for............

As for the debate over the opening-day starter, the honour is strictly ceremonial. It won't affect the outcome of the season, though if I lived in the area, I might be contacting Dave for those two box seats. The question should be, what kind of message do we want to send to the team and the fans. I think all the players would be fine with it. Trachsel seems to be a fine upstanding professional with lots of cred from his peers. As for the fans? They respect his reputation as a professional. It's his ability to perform that comes into question.

I agree with others that trotting Guthrie out there may score the most points with the fans. And when the final decision is made, should that not be the factor that carries the most weight?

Just get the deal done for crying out loud! Go Cubs!!

I really don't see the point in trading BRob for more pitchers. We are hurtin for position players already. We already have at least 15 guys who be starters within 2 years away. McPhail just wants to look like a big wheeler and dealer and everyone will hate the Cubs deal. Gallager just isn't that good.Traschel as the OD starter is completely idiotic.

I would have had McCrory and Liz in this bullpen headed north instead of the drek McPhail bought in the offseason (besides Sherill) Sarfate,Aquino and Beird are all going to suck. Teams don't give up on relievers unless they are awful and these guys are.

This from David Justice's Houston Chronicle blog: "Multiple talent evaluators are saying that Houston shortstop Miguel Tejada looks absolutely terrible this spring, and they can't see him finishing the year at his current position. --Buster Olney." Justice goes on to make the point that Houston didnt give up that much to get Miggy, so that should have been a warning to Houston about what they were getting. Also about having to play under the pressure of a federal investigation. Good move by Andy to move Miggy out when we did and get what we could in return. Justice considers Patton the player with the biggest upside in the deal.

i have two thoughts i like to share here with you . One is Roberts trade . There seems be 2 camps on Roberts , one party thinks O's should trade ASAP before Opening Day , the other party prefer the July trade deadline option . Each of these 2 options have postives/negatives . The July trade options sounds good [ mulitiple trade partners ] until you wonder " what if Roberts gets hurt ? "
Thats why Andy couldnt trade Tejada last July deadline .

The second issue is Trax being Opening Day candidate . I agreed with most of you who dont like Trax as our OD starter . Instead of Trax , why not consider Marquis? Take look at his stats , 191 IP ? 4.60 ERA ? Marquis been pitching longer than any O's save Trax , so why not Marquis as "veteran presence" ? I am sure Marquis would make good # 2 starter for O's . If O's so hung on veteran presence , then make Marquis your OD man .

MacPhail , please make sure Pie is on plane with Marquis , he could be our new Leadoff/speed man .

Rusty, I would think Deza is the one guy we'd want to hang on to and he's already safely tucked away in the minors. Cormier and Leicester have not taken advantage of their opportunities and if they were to be snagged by another club, there's really no loss. Anderson hasn't really been given a chance but I don't think any other club will grab him because he doesn't have traditional big-league tools.

I hate talking negatively about any of these guys. Think about it. They are among the 1,500 best people on the planet at what they do. I'd still sacrifice an awful lot to live the life of a pro for one year... even in Triple-A.

Traschel as an opening day starter is a joke. Guthrie deserves it and we all know it. I guess the question is why dosen't management see it. Also I think everyone is right there needs to be some good young bats coming to us for Roberts. Yes we need pitchers but if we can't score runs, what is good pitching going to do. We will loose in all low scoring games most likely. There needs to be a balance in trading for players. Yes have good pitching, but look for good potential hitting also. Remember BALANCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. THATS HOW WE DO IT IN THE MILITARY.

We need a damn shortstop,

ATL, COL, TAM, LAD have good options. The Cubs do not!

C'mon AM do something that gets a SSS who helps us in the "rebuilding" phase, and please don't tell me it is Ronny Cedeno.

We have no #1 Starter. Opening Day starter means squat. it is an honor for the pitcher, but does it really matter?

How does who we pick to start the first game of 162 matter at all?

Maybe since we do not have a #1 we should just go with all bullpen guys for the first game. Like spring training.

Maybe the opening day nod will get Trachsel Pumped and he will go a strong 7 innings.

BUT again, does it really matter who starts game 1 of 162?

"There's plenty of sentiment within the organization to have Trachsel make the Opening Day start as the veteran presence in the rotation."

What, Steve in a house of mirrors?

Roch is there any thought that Mora could once again play short with Moore as a starting 3rd baseman

Hey Roch, try this deal. The Cubs send Jose Ceda, Sean Gallagher, Ronny Cedano and Donnie Veal for Roberts. The deal could be expanded to include Jason Marquis and Jay Payton and will be completed by the end of camp. Chicago Sun Times says this deal will happen. Does this make sense to you?

Deza i bet will do the same thing he did last year at Bowie. Be the long relief man and occasional starter just like the O's long reliever will do. I think it's going to be Burres. I now have my opening-day starter as Jeremy Guthrie and no. 5 starter as Matt Albers.
Please dont trade Roberts though!!!

What happens to Lance Cormier if he doesnt make the opening day roster?
I know he has a minor league contract and can start in Norfolk, but the O's might think he's holding up a starting rotation spot for a youngster.
This is what I'm thinking:
no.5 starter: Matt Albers
Long reliever: Brian Burres
Norfolks starters: Liz, Penn, Olsen, Johnson, and Cormier/Leicester
Norfolks LR: Deza
Cormier stays if Leicester is out of minor league optionsbut i dont know.

Those who insist that any Roberts trade needs to be made quickly for the sake of finalizing the roster and chemistry building for the season seem to be overlooking something important. The O's are looking to '09 and beyond, not '08. If an extra week is what it takes for the Cubs or another team to improve the package offered, then it is well worth the extra week. What is a few more days of an unsettled roster when the team will probably be auditioning lots of players and making roster changes throughout the year anyway? This would be the case from now until the end of July and perhaps beyond. The O's are in the catbird seat on this one, so just be patient and wait for the scouts to leave Arizona before getting excited.
On another note (one of which I am much less sure), I was watching D-Cab's start on MLB TV. While he did seem to be "standing taller" it also seemed that he was keeping his shoulders more square. When he came out for his last inning, he was "hunching" his shoulders forward and thus keeping his elbows in closer to his body. I have been noticing this hunching and unhunching for years but always have thought that I was too uniformed to say anything; however, it seems to my enormously untrained eye that he gets wilder when he does that. When he holds his shoulders back a bit - more of a "military" posture - he seems to have a more fluid delivery and better control. Has anyone else noticed anything like that or am I just crazy?

Roch, In your recently posted article you write: "No. 1 starter: Trembley insists that Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, Steve Trachsel and Daniel Cabrera have an equal chance to replace Bedard. There's sentiment within the organization to give Trachsel the honor as the veteran of the group and relieve the younger pitchers of the added pressure."

Here's another blog with the same sentiment:

http://thebadoriole.blogspot.com/

Maybe that's the sentiment, and I can see it as far as Adam Loewen and Daniel Cabrera, but it's totally ludicrous to think that Jeremey Guthrie is going to feel any "added pressure." Consider the following:

* He turns 29 on April 8, so it isn't exactly as though we're talking about some still wet behind the ears pitcher fresh off the bus from Norfolk.

* His stats were nearly all solid last year, including: W-L -- 7-5, ERA -- .370, K/BB ratio -- 123/47, OPT BA -- .249, WHIP -- 1.21.

* Most importantly, he didn't wilt under pressure when pitching big games, including the Mother's Day Massacre (yeah, the "They are who we thought they were...we let 'em off the hook!" style game, courtesy of Sam Perlozzo). Without going into detail about the meltdown, which is burned on the neural hard drive of any Orioles fan anyway, let's just recall that Guthrie threw 8.1 innings of three-hit shutout ball against one of the best defenses in baseball. Oh, and did I mention? He did it at Fenway!

Does that sound like he can't handle the pressure? Too nervous for the big game? Earth to the Orioles brain trust, Jeremy Guthrie is your Opening Day starter, whether you have him take the mound that day or not. There really isn't a sane rebuttal.

Hi Roch,

Fantastic job from Florida this spring, thank you very much.

Just wondering how Jay Gibbons is looking in the field and at the plate this spring. We can look up his stats, but as you know, they don't tell the whole story, especially in so small a sample. We know all about Gibby's contract, and that his employer hates to eat contract money. But how is the guy actually looking on the field? Is there a chance he might contribute if he is kept? We know that Scott/Jones/Markakis are the presumptive outfield starters, and that Trembley seems to prefer Tike Redman as his fourth outfielder, but may be stuck with Payton. Where does Gibbons fit? Could he still be considered a first baseman (presumably a backup)? Have any "anonymous sources" around the team indicated anything? You did mention something about how Gibby's arms look in a sleeveless t-shirt, but how about a more objective and baseball-oriented scouting report?

bite. your. tongue.

I did not purchase O's Fanfest tix and take a vacation day to drive to your cute little ballpark to see... Kevin Millar and The Rest of the Hee Haw Gang. Oh well, maybe I sort of did...

Any chance BRob can have more kidney stones, thus tanking his trade value? See what he can do about that, would ya?

"C" is for cantankerous. Can't spell it, but that's how I'm feeling today. Back to the beer.

Please, no Trachsel on opening day. If the Orioles are selling us on good fundementals and hopes for the future, why remind us of the junk from the past. No offense to Trachsel. I don't care that he is on the roster and he seems like a classy guy that will help the kids in the rotation. However, I'll take my chances with Guthrie. He threw great last year...seems to have picked up where he left off..and I don't want to still be at the stadium at 10:00 pm on opening day. Give me someone that at least has the chance to keep the game close until the guy pitching for the other team runs out of gas.
Keep up the great work Roch!

Why not trade, Payton, Gibbons, Cabrera, Baez and Luis Hernandez to the Cubs for a player to be named later, plus 50 bucks for the overpriced food at Camden Yards. Then sign Brian Roberts to a five year deal. See that was easy.

I'm glad we got Trachsel back especially because we got Scott Moore for him from the Cubs if he pitches like he did last year or better maybe we can trade him again to a contender for some more prospects.

Trachsel the opening day starter??? That's a joke, right?

If the opening day starter is not Guthrie, it's a travesty and an injustice. It would be ludicrous, ridiculous, nonsense etc.

Guthrie is the ace of the staff and should be treated as such. There shouldn't even be a 2nd thought! Are you kidding me?

Roch - Are you thinking Cedeno is going to be the starting SS? Or are you thinking they are going to go make another move to get a SS?

I do not understand the buzz about Cedeno. He is a scrub. He tried to learn CF this off-season so he could keep a job in the majors. Despite his spring, there is a good chance he will not make the Cubs this year if he is not in the trade. And we plan to make him our starter?

While a guy who hits .240 in the minors but suddenly gets it when promoted to the majors and becomes a legitimate MLB hitter, it is almost unheard of for a guy with a brick glove to become a defensive stalwart. And Cedeno has a brick glove.

There is no better defensive SS than Hernandez available. Why don't we want Hernandez at SS?

I thought MacPhail's plan was for a younger team that was strong on defense?

If Hernandez does not start, we have Adam Jones (23) holding up the youth. Scott is 30, Mora is 36, Fahey is 27 and no longer qualifies as young on the Bill James Circle of Life, Millar is 36, Huff is 31, Ramon is 32, Gibbons is 31, Redman is 31, Quiroz is 26. Only Markakis (24), Luis Hernandez (24) and Scott Moore (24) add any additional youth to the team, and Markakis is not a new addition.

On the pitching staff, Olson, Liz and Albers are in the minors - along with McCrory, Cherry and Hoey.

The rotation will be Guthrie (29), Trax (37), Marquis (30), Cabrera (26) and Lowen (24). The 'pen Walker (36), Bradford (33), Aquino (30), Sarfate (28), Sherrill (31), Burres (27) and Bierd (24). And if he didn't have to stay I bet he would be in AA.

I just do not understand the direction the O's are going. We seem to be getting older not younger and, for all the talk of a strong defense, playing anyone else at SS - the key defensive position on the field - besides Hernandez is a major step down.

And speaking of Trax, I do not understand how making him the opening day starter will be a benefit to anyone. I have always thought the opening day start was awarded on the previous season's performance. That would call for Guthrie to make the start.

Guthrie should be the guy they are building the rotation around now that Bedard is gone.

Trax was an up and down performer last year. He was, I believe, also a vet last season but was not able to offer the team anything as far as that went.

He does not have a previous reputation for being anything other than a guy who shows up to pitch. While it is great he can put up some innings from time to time, that does not make him a leader.

Expecting Trax to be like a Jim Palmer was in '82 and '83 or like Benson was in his 1 season is a stretch. But I guess if you can expect Cedeno to be a good SS you can believe anything.

Is this blog for comments or questions? I see a lot of questions but never any answers. You don't have to answer that Roch....
I'll still keep reading....

I'd be happy trading Payton for Marquis straight up.Then trading a Burres,Jim Johnson or Albers for Jack Wilson. If we trade Roberts for more pitchers I'm going to go lay on the railroad tracks. P.S. i wish McPahil would resign today.

hey i saw stevie T pitch an almost complete game against the royals in KC, so it's entirely possible he could get is grove on one more time.. just bring some uppers so you can stay awake.

Roch, I keep hearing the same old stories about the same players every day. It's not worded any different either. I feel like I knew most of the info two weeks ago. Fahey has emerged and if Trembley says he's being fair, then stick with that formula.
John, I do think this is a blog mainly for comments as it would be a big time job for Roch just going around answering all our questions. He does answer some, but with spring break down in Florida I'm sure Roch and the boys have their hands full with all those college girls running around half naked. It's Girls Gone Wild in Ft Lauderdale this time of the year. And this is the benefit to being an Orioles reporter in Florida cause when the season starts, and it's a long one, we have to give them at least something to look forward to. If spring training was in a non party atmosphere he would be able to answer every question out of boredom. Party on!

TOM D had a hell of a post here , He deserves major props..............well said , well posted and well thought out,,,,,,,,,,,,,,oh , he is also right.............

I totally agree with everyone who is saying that trading Roberts for more pitchers is completely unnecessary. We have so many young pitchers that are still developing that it just seems insane to add any more right now. Yea, I know a lot of them won’t cut it, but we have SO MANY! We need position players, sluggers, base stealers, etc. Trading away our best player for a bunch of prospects that probably won’t amount to anything or just get injured and have to sit the entire season out seems like the stupidest move ever! I honestly would shove as much money in Roberts direction and practically beg him to stay. Offer him whatever he wants and sign him long term. I thing Roberts is a guy who will just get better with age. He’s 30, but in the best shape of his life and along with Markakis, the best thing we’ve had in awhile. I’m sorry, but in my eyes, I think trading him is going to end up hurting the Orioles in the long run. SIGN HIM LONG TERM! If you offer him enough, I think he’ll sign!!!!!