Pete, nobody named in the Mitchell Report has yet to secure a long-term deal. And BRob is good, but he's no Chase Utley or Dustin Pedroia. I fear the O's, after taking a pounding in the Mitchell Report, would become outcasts if they inked BRob long-term. There is a third option besides a trade or signing. Let him test the free agent waters, if we lose him to free agency, we get two draft picks in return, if he is offered a long-term deal by another club, the O's can match it and save face. My guess, a contender won't pay him the 45/4 he's asking, he might not even get 3/30. And maybe looming free agency is what the O's need to motivate him and Mora this year.

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Pete's reply: I really don't think the steroid scandal has any impact on Brian's negotiations.

hope you didn't freeze too badly this morning. What a he-man !!

Think you might have misunderstood my previous question: "have you heard if the O's have considered moving Reimold to 1st for this AAA season? Or Montanez since he is more of a liability in the field?" Was asking about 2010 and beyond, not this year since it would take a season to learn the position.

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Pete's reply; Oh, my bad. I haven't heard that, but it might make sense with the influx of outfielders. Gotta figure you'll see Montanez play some first base in the spring, along with Luke Scott.

Rosenthal is quoting sources that say Roberts wants a 4 year deal. If that's all, for the love of everything that's green in the spring, MacPhail climb down out of your ivory tower and sign him. It doesn't take a baseball genius to figure that out.... then again, right now you're not looking that smart either.

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Pete's reply: If it comes down to three years or four, I think it'll get done. I believe there is some air between the club's salary offer and Brian's most recent demand.

Will there be a cardiac emergency team nearby? Or, better yet, make sure you have a George Castanza endorsed shrinkage repair kit handy. Yikes!

Pete,

I was given a sign that BRob will be traded to the Cubs before the season. The sign was that when I clicked on the link in your blog, I was redirected to the Chicago Tribune. The writing is on the wall, so we may as well accept it.

Hey Schmuck,

My plunging team will be at the Navy stadium tailgaiting starting around 11:00. Stop by for some food and... um... beverages.

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Pete's reply: Gosh, I wish I had brought my laptop to the plunge. I could have hung with you guys and I wouldn't have rushed home to watch the Maryland/Duke debacle. Thanks for the invite.

If you read what some of the"experts"(?) say, Rosenthal being one of them , the O's have made a big mistake by keeping him this long .
Everyone has an opinion , but mine is that we need to get him signed .

I can understand why the newspapers are going broke, when a person has to go to the website of the Chicago Tribune to read an article on Brian Roberts. With all of the other little blurbs up and down the page touting the Bears and Cubs and Bulls, it is time to say good bye Mr. Schmuck. I will have to confine my blog reading to Roch. Good Luck in the future, you are a good man, it is your employer who is clueless.

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Pete's reply: No, it was me who was clueless. I handle all of the graphics and links on this site myself and I screwed up when I was putting up the item before heading out to jump in the bay. I should have tested the link before I left so it wouldn't be up like that all day. But if you must leave, I will call Rocco and tell him you're coming.

Offer 4yr/36million, If that doesnt get it doen trade him at the deadline to a contender. Cause I dont see him getting any better then that if he goes into Free agency next year. Roberst needs to be faithful liek the fans and the Orioles have beed to him. And sign. If he doesnt no sweat he is just another player that money is all that matters. I guess he will find out in the coming dayd what BROB is made of and hopefully its what he all thought all along and its he is a Oriole 100%. We'll see.

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Pete's reply: That wouldn't get it done, so you would be guaranteeing that he'll be traded with no guarantee what the market will be for him in July. Let's give them a chance to get something done over the next couple of weeks.

I haven't been fond of a lot of the moves this Winter except signing Nick, Isturis, Uehara, but I must say we are both on board here. Roberts is one of the top leadoff men in the game in terms of OBP and doubles. Good speed, and a really pillar in the community. I'd like to see the O's do an extension with him. Four year, 40-44 mil seems appropriate eve nas a reward for his past years of play. Some here would've said don't extend Brooks Robinson when he was 30 due to deteriorating skills, but he really didn't start to regress until he was 35 and was an All Star when he was 37. His bat in the poast season (with the exception of the 69 met disaster) was potent while Brooks was a post 30+. I think Roberts is an extremely fit athlete, and if extended will go down as the greatest 2B in Oriole history.

4 years is not a huge leap of faith here. I'd get it done.

And get another actual proven starting pitcher!!!! (I may even get over my dissapointment of not getting Tex if these two things are done.)

Peter: I hope the Orioles sign Roberts at this point, but I don't agree with your premise that it's also the best move for him. This year's free agent market could be a one-year correction. Fiscal responsibility seems to overcome the owners once in a while, but they usually get over it right away. Moreover, next year's crop of potential free agents isn't very good.

You're correct, sadly, that the trade market for Roberts appears weak. I wish they had traded him last year, if they could have gotten an appealing collection of prospects (sure was a great idea cancelling the Laroche/Giles trade). Roberts won't be a star and might not even be a regular by the time the O's are ready to contend.

Don't misunderstand me, I like Roberts and like seeing him in orange and black. But too much devotion to individual players is a weakness the Orioles need to get over. They can use the Red Sox (P. Martinez, Damon, and now Varitek) as an example.

fire gary

I thought Roberts would be looking for five or six years. If he's only looking for four years, what are they waiting for?

Your link for your story on BRob takes me to the Chicago Tribune's web site.

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Pete's reply: Yep. I screwed up. It has been fixed.

Peter, Peter, Peter!

I, too, would like to extend Roberts, but for the going rate. I would seem that the rate for a star second baseman (and one with an MVP) was just set when the Red Sox extended Pedroia for 6 years for $40.5 million (that's $6.75 per annum for a 25 year old with more pop than Roberts has). If the O's have offered $30 million for
3 years, Roberts should take the money and run. You want to give him 4 years for $45 million or $11.25 per year? Hell, pick up Hudson and trade Roberts for whatever you can get in prospects and sign Abreu for 3 years before doing that. An Oriole problem is overpaying at less than top star level and refusing to pay at the top level. You wind up spending about the same money but the results aren't the same. I might give Roberts a something over Pedroia to reward lenght of service, but he ain't Markakis. One has an upside (to be paid for) and the other only has a downside (which is not worth the bucks).

Pete,

To add to my last comments, in the general category of reality, Prince Fielder just signed a two year extension for $18 million. Roberts needs a reality check if he turned down $30 million for 3 years.

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Pete's reply: I don't have a problem with your rationale, but the salary structure is different for a guy one year away from free agency. That's the first time I've heard anyone propose the idea of signing Orlando Hudson and trading Brian. I suppose there is some logic there is Hudson is a much cheaper sign (I don't know that), but you can't discount the popularity of Roberts on a team with severe attendance issues.

I was just reading on orioles.com that Roberts is seeking a 4 year deal. I say give it to him I know o's offred 3 but adding 1 more I don't think should be much of a problem and havning him around for 4 years with Nick Markakis should least mean a couple more runs for the pitchers.

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Pete's reply: I'm sure Brian would take four years instead of three, but the money may be more of an issue. Remember, Brian signed a three-year deal two years ago because he wanted to wait and see what direction the club was going to take. I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to do the same thing again, in which case they may have to pay him $12 million per year to stay.

There has NEVER been a reason to deal Brian Roberts. Brian was the "face" of the Orioles before Markakis and they BOTH should be at this point.
He is one of, if not THE premier leadoff man in baseball.
Which of the talked-about rumored deals over the past two off-seasons would have brought us another leadoff man with anywhere near Brian's talent? Who is a better defensive second-baseman than Brian?
Who in our system can replace him if he goes?
Not only that, but the guy is not at the end of the road by any means.
We'd better wrap him up NOW and let him take his rightful place alongside Nick and eventually Weiters, Jones, Tillman, Matusz, Bergeson, and Guthrie as the real faces of this franchise.

They need to sign Roberts, and a 4-year deal should be good for both sides. Why would they do all this work to beef up pitching and defense and then open up a huge hole at 2nd base? They need to be great up the middle if they hope to win, and keeping Roberts in the fold is the best way to do that.

They need to sign Roberts, and a 4-year deal should be good for both sides. Why would they do all this work to beef up pitching and defense and then open up a huge hole at 2nd base? They need to be great up the middle if they hope to win, and keeping Roberts in the fold is the best way to do that.

This just in ! .... There have been several whale sightings at Sandy Point State Park today ! Sorry Pete , that was too easy . ( probably as bad as jokes at Roch's roast).

Pete, Excellent column on Brian Roberts. You hit all of the right notes.

I wish Andy MacPhail would stop with all of the rhetoric about how the market hasn't "played itself out" and just sign the man. (We didn't hear any of that when it came to signing Nick Markakis.)

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says he's learned that B-Rob is seeking a four-year extension, which isn't too much to ask from the Orioles.

For a bright as Andy MacPhail is most of the time, it's like he's developed a brain glitch on this subject. He sends mixed signals on this, declaring it's the team's desire to get Roberts re-signed, but then seemingly reverse himself with talk about "the market."

Yet this shouldn't even be subject for debate.

Trading him isn't for the good of the Orioles, because no team has ever gone deep in the playoffs without a good leadoff man, and Brian is by far one of the best in the game. Remove him from the equation and the O's don't have even an established leadoff man: Ryan Freel is okay for a few games here or there, but is no long term solution, while Felix Pie, who has been projected for that role, is far too undisiplined--both as a hitter and a baserunner--to be adequate. Beyond those two, there is no one in the O's organization who can take over at the top of the lineup.

And, of course, there's more to Brian than just his on the field excellence. His charitable work in the community, especially with sich children, is a bonus for the O's, because it reflects well on the organization. If Nick is now the face of the Orioles, then Brian is their heart and soul.

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Pete's reply: I really don't think four years would be a big problem for the O's. It'll be the price.

The O's need to get Roberts signed for at least another 4 years. Quality leadoff guys don't come around very often plus he's in the top tier of defensive 2B's. On another topic, I like the O's projected lineup, but where is the pitching? Only two proven starters? There are still some decent free agents out there. Not great, but still better than we have.

If we pay him $40M do you think he'll learn to bunt? Or is it really as impossible as BROB makes it look?

I hope you've recovered from the chilly dip. I've done it a couple times and people just don't realize how water that cold literally takes one's breath away.

As for Brian....there's no question that his mind is spinning. On the one hand, he's thinking about his life moving forward, grabbing all the dollars he can (while he can)...knowing Baltimore will likely offer the most.

On the other, he's a competitor, and absolutely hates the constant losing. He knows (as most do) this team will not come close to competing for the playoffs in the next four years.

Brian's not as young as some think, thus I actually hope he takes a little less to go to a city where he'll love playing for a team that competes. As it is, he must be banging his head against the wall realizing that if he signs with the O's, he'll likely play his entire career with one of the worst teams in baseball.

Yes, he'll have alot of money in the bank regardless, but imagine playing for a team your entire career that never even won half of their games in a single season...which is what Brian's facing by signing a 3 or 4 year deal in Baltimore.

Here's hoping Brian makes a decision that he'll one day be able to look back on with pride....

section 34--Congratulations! You win the prize for today's most B-Rob remark when you state: "Roberts won't be a star and might not even be a regular by the time the O's are ready to contend."

Clearly, you know nothing about Brian's intensive offseason conditioning or would write something so ridiculous. By the end of his contract extension (yes, the Orioles will be contending by then), his level of production will be very similar to what it is today. Count on it!

Northwood--Brian doesn't need to learn how to bunt as he does so much else so well. If he did improve in that area, all well and good, but I'd rather have him swinging away. After all, he did finish 2008 second in the AL for doubles (51) and tied for fourth in triples (8).

Request to Andy MacPhail--Please don't drag this out any longer. Sign him! Thanks!

He's not worth $10 million a year.That's half again what Pedroia got for cryin' out loud.Yes they need him and he's irreplaceable. On the other hand, the team is still 2-3 years away from contention, and he'd be in decline when that time has elapsed.And giving him all that money might tie up resources they'll need for free agents in the future.

There's been some bantering back and forth about what Roberts is worth...I'd say something in the neighbourhood of 10-11 mill/yr. I mean if Milton Bradley and Raul Ibanez can make that, so can Roberts. He's proven himself over a number of years, stayed relatively healthy, he's still only 31 and he can hit for average, some pop, is a good fielder and can steal bases.
Let's extend him at 4 yr-42 mill(with no opt out clause and maybe a limited no trade clause).

Pete-

Roberts is in the prime of his career. I believe he'll be thirty-two soon. With the acquisition of Itzuris at shortstop and Adam Jones playing Paul Blair Jr. in center, the pieces are in place to have a rock solid defensive middle. It will be sorely needed, with the sketchy starting pitching scenario.
Sign him, work on acquiring more starters and a third base guy for 2010, and perhaps then we can talk postseason.

Ken Francis: I hope you're right and I'm not.

What I do know is that players' production declines as they age. The steroid era reduced this inevitability somewhat. Now, we're back to the cold hard facts of winter.

But I do hope you're right and I'm not.

mikezpen--Yeah, he's worth $10M. Of course, he's worth that as one of the game's premier leadoff hitters/second basemen. Comparing this to what Pedroia got isn't fair; B-Rob's had been in the big leagues a lot longer and has established himself as a great player, while Dustin has only had two full years and 2008 could end his career year (I'm not saying that it will be, but you never know). Pedroia's had a couple of great seasons, but Roberts has had more.