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Brian Roberts Rumors

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Here’s the latest.

  • Brian Roberts is not in Orioles’ camp today; he’s gone to a local hospital for a stomach ailment.  Roch Kubatko does not believe he’s secretly been traded.
  • Roberts will make no trade demands.
  • Ken Rosenthal says the chances of a Roberts trade "seem to diminish each day."  Rosenthal cites Roberts’ relationship with Peter Angelos, and wonders whether the Orioles could wait until July to get more teams involved.  If a Cubs deal does occur, Ronny Cedeno is highly likely to be included.
  • Three days ago, ESPN’s Peter Gammons wrote that the Cubs refuse to part with Felix Pie or Jose Ceda for Roberts.  Also, many MLBTR readers have speculated that the Orioles no longer have use for any of the Cubs’ outfielders.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brian Roberts

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It seems as though all the players we thought we would be traded this off-season, have been traded, minus one…Brian Roberts. The oft-rumored deal to send Roberts to the Cubs continues to linger. Ken Rosenthal first suggested that Roberts would be a good fit for the Cubs back in early December and Jeff Zrebiec confirmed the Cubs interest. Then the deal may have been dead, with the O’s asking price too high and by the end of January Gordon Wittenmyer suggested Cubs had turned their focus to Marlon Byrd. Then according to Jon Heyman a deal appeared imminent. Rosenthal thought the O’s insisting on the inclusion of Felix Pie was a deal-breaker. But then Baltimore acquired Adam Jones and Chris De Luca noted the deal might have life. But now Heyman wonders if the proposed package(s) is not enough and if Peter Angelos will nix a deal, as Roberts is one of his favorite players. Now that Spring Training has begun we have to wonder if a deal can still get done. let’s take a look at how the Roberts deal is being handled in the blogosphere.

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • View From the Bleachers sees Roberts as a nice addition but not a necessity as he may only be a slight upgrade from Eric Patterson. They don’t see the deal as a "foregone conclusion" considering the players being offered by the Cubs.
  • Camden Chat is not impressed with the Cubs offer, but they wonder if Roberts is worth keeping.
  • Another Cubs Blog sees the signing of Alex Cintron by the Cubs as a sign that the Cubs are making progress towards getting a deal done.
  • Ivy Chat wonders if the Cubs have enough in the system to obtain both Roberts and Joe Nathan. While they would like both, they would prefer Nathan.
  • Crawley’s Cub Kingdom notes that Alfonso Soriano’s legs are not 100% and that he may not be suited to lead off in 2008, increasing the need for Roberts.
  • A Hundred Next Years is not sure the upgrade from Mark DeRosa to Roberts is worth the price.
  • Wrigleyville23 calls it "The Roberts Rain Delay" and notes that the political process here in the U.S. actually moves faster than trade discussions between the Cubs and the O’s.
  • Orioles Fan Base talked to our own Tim Dierkes about this situation.

By Cork Gaines

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Brian Roberts

By | at

It seems as though all the players we thought we would be traded this off-season, have been traded, minus one…Brian Roberts. The oft-rumored deal to send Roberts to the Cubs continues to linger. Ken Rosenthal first suggested that Roberts would be a good fit for the Cubs back in early December and Jeff Zrebiec confirmed the Cubs interest. Then the deal may have been dead, with the O’s asking price too high and by the end of January Gordon Wittenmyer suggested Cubs had turned their focus to Marlon Byrd. Then according to Jon Heyman a deal appeared imminent. Rosenthal thought the O’s insisting on the inclusion of Felix Pie was a deal-breaker. But then Baltimore acquired Adam Jones and Chris De Luca noted the deal might have life. But now Heyman wonders if the proposed package(s) is not enough and if Peter Angelos will nix a deal, as Roberts is one of his favorite players. Now that Spring Training has begun we have to wonder if a deal can still get done. let’s take a look at how the Roberts deal is being handled in the blogosphere.

If there is a topic you would like to see covered in "Baseball Blogs Weigh In" please let me know HERE.

  • View From the Bleachers sees Roberts as a nice addition but not a necessity as he may only be a slight upgrade from Eric Patterson. They don’t see the deal as a "foregone conclusion" considering the players being offered by the Cubs.
  • Camden Chat is not impressed with the Cubs offer, but they wonder if Roberts is worth keeping.
  • Another Cubs Blog sees the signing of Alex Cintron by the Cubs as a sign that the Cubs are making progress towards getting a deal done.
  • Ivy Chat wonders if the Cubs have enough in the system to obtain both Roberts and Joe Nathan. While they would like both, they would prefer Nathan.
  • Crawley’s Cub Kingdom notes that Alfonso Soriano’s legs are not 100% and that he may not be suited to lead off in 2008, increasing the need for Roberts.
  • A Hundred Next Years is not sure the upgrade from Mark DeRosa to Roberts is worth the price.
  • Wrigleyville23 calls it "The Roberts Rain Delay" and notes that the political process here in the U.S. actually moves faster than trade discussions between the Cubs and the O’s.
  • Orioles Fan Base talked to our own Tim Dierkes about this situation.

By Cork Gaines

Cubs’ Talks For Byrd Reach Impasse

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The Cubs have been interested in Rangers’ center fielder Marlon Byrd for some time now, apparently offering Matt Murton.  However, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers’ insistence on good young pitching in the deal has caused a stalemate.  The Cubs like Byrd, but not at that price.

Evan Grant wrote recently that one of Jason Botts, Nelson Cruz, or David Murphy is likely to be dealt before Opening Day.  A Byrd trade might allow the Rangers to keep all three.

Cubs’ Talks For Byrd Reach Impasse

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The Cubs have been interested in Rangers’ center fielder Marlon Byrd for some time now, apparently offering Matt Murton.  However, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers’ insistence on good young pitching in the deal has caused a stalemate.  The Cubs like Byrd, but not at that price.  Jeff Wilson and Anthony Andro of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram say Byrd is still "drawing considerable interest" from the Cubs, however.

Evan Grant wrote recently that one of Jason Botts, Nelson Cruz, or David Murphy is likely to be dealt before Opening Day.  A Byrd trade might allow the Rangers to keep all three.

Cubs Sign Alex Cintron

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Minor signing this morning, as the Cubs inked shortstop Alex Cintron to a minor league deal according to ESPN 1000 Radio’s Bruce Levine.  Does this have implications for Ronny Cedeno, who’s been a rumored piece in the Brian Roberts discussions?  And since Cintron had been on Baltimore’s radar, will they now focus on Juan Uribe?

Cintron, 29, hit .243/.281/.324 for the White Sox in 185 ABs last year.  He dealt with bone spurs in his elbow, a bruised thumb, and time spent on the bereavement list for his grandfather. 

Cubs Sign Alex Cintron

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Minor signing this morning, as the Cubs inked shortstop Alex Cintron to a minor league deal according to ESPN 1000 Radio’s Bruce Levine.  Does this have implications for Ronny Cedeno, who’s been a rumored piece in the Brian Roberts discussions?  And since Cintron had been on Baltimore’s radar, will they now focus on Juan Uribe?

Cintron, 29, hit .243/.281/.324 for the White Sox in 185 ABs last year.  He dealt with bone spurs in his elbow, a bruised thumb, and time spent on the bereavement list for his grandfather. 

Odds and Ends: Kelly Johnson, Nathan, Crede

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Time for some early Monday odds and ends.

  • Remember how White Sox GM Ron Schueler embarrassed Cubs GM Ed Lynch in 1998 by acquiring Jon Garland for Matt Karchner?  Rany Jazayerli sees a parallel to that heist with the Royals’ acquisition of Daniel Cortes as part of the July ’06 Mike MacDougal trade.
  • Mike Berardino’s blog continues to entertain; this time with a Dan Miceli story.  Ah, knife fights with siblings.  Who among us can say they haven’t had one or two?
  • Buster Olney learned from Braves GM Frank Wren that Kelly Johnson has been the team’s most asked-for player in trade talks this winter.
  • The look on Kyle Kendrick’s face is priceless.
  • Extension talks with the Twins and Joe Nathan have gone dormant.  Nathan still thinks the gap can be bridged but wants it done before the season begins.
  • Andy Marte and Shin-Soo Choo are both out of options; when Choo comes back from elbow surgery a month into the season one of them could be traded.
  • Henry Schulman says the White Sox may accept prospects from the Giants for Joe Crede.
  • Derek Lowe is entering his walk year, and he hasn’t had any extension talks with the Dodgers yet.

Murton Reads MLBTR

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It was pretty cool to learn today that Cubs outfielder Matt Murton reads MLBTradeRumors.com.  Welcome!  Unfortunately, I can’t imagine it’s thrilling to read about yourself in trade rumors all winter.

Murton is a left fielder, and the Cubs obviously have Alfonso Soriano there.  Right field is now filled by Kosuke Fukudome.  Lou Piniella couldn’t help but admit that Murton’s role on the Cubs is as a fourth outfielder.  The Herald’s Bruce Miles has heard rumblings that the Cubs will try to trade Murton to a team where he can play regularly. ESPN’s Keith Law thinks Murton would be good for a .290/.360/.470 line in regular duty.

Baltimore wouldn’t make sense, now that the team has accumulated an outfield surplus of their own.  San Diego remains a strong option, though those talks were said to be slow going last time we checked.  And the Rangers appear to want more than just Murton for Marlon Byrd, something the Cubs may be reluctant to do.  My own speculation – the Indians could be a fit.

Orioles Asked For Ceda In Roberts Deal

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According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Orioles asked the Cubs for 21 year-old righty Jose Ceda as part of a Brian Roberts deal at some point this winter.  However, Ceda is untouchable for Jim Hendry.

Ceda is a large righty swiped from Kevin Towers for Todd Walker at the ’06 trade deadline.  Baseball America ranks him fourth among Cubs prospects, first among pitchers.  When Ceda switched to relief in July, he threw 23 hitless innings in A ball.  His fastball and slider are of Major League quality and Lou Piniella has noted that he could make the jump from A ball to the bigs.

Andy MacPhail said yesterday that he didn’t expect to trade Roberts before the Orioles’ Spring Training reporting date next week.

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