Brian Roberts News: Pro Sports Daily

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September 5

Baltimore Sun

"Brian Roberts has played in 1,000 games as an Oriole, but he experienced a first in Friday night's series opener against the Texas Rangers. Seeking to shake up his lineup and offer Nick Markakis more protection with Adam Jones out, Orioles manager Dave Trembley moved Roberts from first to third in the order. It was the first time since college that Roberts has hit third and the first time in his Orioles career that he batted anywhere but first, second or ninth. The last time Roberts started a game and didn't hit leadoff was Aug. 3, 2004, when he batted ninth. Overall, Roberts has batted leadoff 979 times in his Orioles career. "It's a spot in the lineup, it doesn't matter to me," said ..."

Roberts, Guthrie wring out Sox

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August 22

Baltimore Sun

"On a night when the much-maligned Jeremy Guthrie pitched like the top-of-the-rotation starter that the Orioles hoped he would be, diminutive second baseman Brian Roberts continued his transformation into the slugger nobody expects him to be. Roberts slammed two home runs off Chicago White Sox starter Gavin Floyd, including a tiebreaking, two-run shot in the eighth inning as the Orioles prevailed, 5-1, in front of an announced 34,125 on Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field and won back-to-back games for the first time since July 29 and 30. "The clubhouse is a little out of control right now, but good for them," said Orioles manager Dave Trembley, whose team could win its first series since ..."

Roberts, Orioles break out of slumps

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May 5

Baltimore Sun

"If there was any more proof needed to show Brian Roberts' importance to the Orioles' lineup, the leadoff man provided it in the late innings Monday night, taking over a game that his team needed to win. Roberts, hitless in 18 consecutive at-bats and without a stolen base in his previous 18 games, singled, stole third and scored to break a seventh-inning tie against the Tampa Bay Rays. He then broke the game open with a two-run homer in the eighth to lift the Orioles to an 8-4 victory over the Rays in front of an announced 12,658. "I think he took the game over himself," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said of Roberts. "He won't admit that because he's not that kind of guy, but I think ..."

Roberts sets example on the field

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April 27

Baltimore Sun

"Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts has said time and again that he isn't a prototypical leader; he's not going to make his points vocally. "I think leadership comes in a lot of different ways," said Roberts, who is the second-longest tenured Oriole behind third baseman Melvin Mora. "You guys know me. I am not one that's going to call a team meeting and start ranting and raving about what we are going to do. I think my role here is to lead by example as much as possible." That's perfectly fine with Orioles manager Dave Trembley, as long as Roberts sets the example like he did Sunday afternoon in the Orioles' 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers. Roberts scored three runs and had four hits, ..."

For O's Roberts, WBC out of this world

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March 19

Baltimore Sun

"It hit Brian Roberts on Sunday, before he even had his first at-bat or experienced one of the highlights of his baseball career. "I take the national anthem seriously every day, but I was standing there, praying like I always do during the anthem, and then I opened my eyes and looked around and saw who was standing beside me and what uniform I had on," Roberts said of his indoctrination to Team USA and the World Baseball Classic. "I said to myself, 'Wow, this is for real.'" The Orioles second baseman went 3-for-3, reached base in all five of his plate appearances and finished a home run shy of the cycle that night in Team USA's 9-3 victory over the Netherlands. But that was nothing ..."

Roberts still in the trade zone

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February 22

Baltimore Sun

"When Brian Roberts signed the four-year, $40million contract extension that ties him to the Orioles through the 2013 season, he did so without getting significant no-trade protection for the first couple years of the deal. Roberts had a very limited no-trade clause for the final year of his previous contract, allowing him to designate four teams to which he could not be traded. That was carried forward when the final year of the old deal was rolled into what essentially is a new five-year contract."

Signed, Sealed and Soon-to-Be Delivered

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February 22

Washington Post

"Brian Roberts's deal is done, the physical has been taken and now all that's left is the formal announcement which is expected at 1 p.m. today. As reported here and elsewhere, Roberts's extension will be worth $40 million over four years but there is still no word on whether or not it's a straight $10 million per year or back-loaded. The difference could be huge as Roberts will be 36 when this contract expires, presumably putting him on the downside of his career, and the Orioles probably don't want to be paying $12 million or more for diminishing returns. As it stands now though, both sides seem pretty happy, the Orioles have locked up their nucleus and Roberts no longer has to answer ..."

Roberts, O's complete four-year deal

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February 20

MLB.com

"First, there was the dress rehearsal. And then there was the performance. Brian Roberts met the media on Friday in a full-fledged news conference to announce his four-year contract extension, a group interview that eerily reproduced a conversation from the previous day. Roberts held forth about the potential deal on Thursday, and he reiterated several of his views on Friday in front of cameras and klieg lights. "A lot of people have asked me [about] looming free agency -- the lure and opportunity to go out and look at every team in Major League Baseball and see where you want to play -- [but] this was the only place I wanted to be for the rest of my career," said Roberts, who has played ..."

Signed, Sealed and Soon-to-Be Delivered

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February 20

Washington Post

"Brian Roberts's deal is done, the physical has been taken and now all that's left is the formal announcement which is expected sometime Friday afternoon. As reported here and elsewhere, Roberts's extension will be worth $40 million over four years but there is still no word on whether or not it's a straight $10 million per year or back-loaded. The difference could be huge as Roberts will be 36 when this contract expires, presumably putting him on the downside of his career, and the Orioles probably don't want to be paying $12 million or more for diminishing returns. As it stands now though, both sides seem pretty happy, the Orioles have locked up their nucleus and Roberts no longer has to ..."

Orioles' Roberts confirms extension

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February 19

Baltimore Sun

"Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts confirmed this morning that he is on the verge of signing a four-year, $40 million contract extension that will tie him to the team through the 2013 season. "Obviously, it's fairly close to done,'' he said. "I think we're all excited about the possibility it is where it is. It's a long process, but in the end both sides are happy." Team sources said today that details of the contract are finalized and Roberts just has to take a physical to complete the deal. The club is expected to hold a news conference tomorrow to make the official announcement"

Something brewing with O's, Roberts?

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February 18

Baltimore Sun

columnist Peter Schmuck

"Brian Roberts arrived at Orioles training camp yesterday to find that the questions about his future have not changed since he reported here a year ago. Inquiring minds want to know whether he wants to stay in Baltimore, what it will take to sign him to a multiyear contract extension, maybe even how he feels about global warming, er, planetary climate change. Roberts has become adept at dancing around the thorny issues, but he didn't even bother to sidestep them this time. He just told everyone to sit tight for a couple of more days. To be more specific, he said he didn't want to say anything about his contract situation until tomorrow, which should tell you something about the nature of ..."

O's closing in on extension with Roberts

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February 18

Baltimore Sun

"The Orioles and second baseman Brian Roberts are close to completing a four-year contract extension that could be announced as early as tomorrow, according to several team sources. Terms of the deal aren't known at this point, but one source familiar with the negotiations said that the two sides are "close." Some details still have to be worked out, the source said, and Roberts will have to pass a team physical, which could take place tomorrow before the first workout of position players. The Orioles will hold a news conference after the physical to announce the deal with Roberts, a homegrown talent who has developed into a two-time All-Star and one of the game's better leadoff men, is ..."

O's working on extension for Roberts

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January 23

MLB.com

"Brian Roberts may not have been at the news conference to announce the Orioles' six-year contract extension for Nick Markakis on Thursday, but he was there in spirit. Immediately, questions turned to whether the club will also reach an extension with its second baseman, whose contract runs out after the 2009 season. Andy MacPhail, Baltimore's president of baseball operations, fielded some of those questions and said he doesn't feel that Roberts is "an expiring asset." The Orioles have reportedly made a three-year offer worth $30 million to retain the two-time All-Star, but a slow free-agent market and the team's recent history may be standing in the way. "We've made no secret of the fact ..."

White Sox not ready to deal for Brian Roberts

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January 6

Chicago Tribune

"While the White Sox made their major off-season moves early—trading Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher—they may not be done retooling in hopes of going deeper than four games into the playoffs, as they did last season. But even though one source said things "were quiet" for the time being, the rumor mill hasn't stop churning. The most interesting gossip is a supposed trade of pitcher Gavin Floyd to his hometown Orioles for second baseman Brian Roberts. A trade for Roberts makes plenty of sense, given that second base is the Sox's most inexperienced position, but general manager Ken Williams said Monday, through a spokesman, he hasn't spoken to the Orioles since November. Plus, Williams has ..."

Two Chicago Suitors for Brian Roberts

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January 5

Washington Post

"The Cubs have long coveted Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, but Baltimore -- to this point -- has been hesitant to move the former All-Star infielder. Well, now the Cubs may have company from the other side of the Windy City, and the Orioles might just been a bit more receptive to a deal this time around. According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the White Sox are making a move to try and add Roberts, and they're offering young starting pitcher Gavin Floyd, fresh off a 17-win season. It sounds like the Orioles want more than just Floyd for Roberts, so it'll be interesting to see if White Sox GM Ken Williams sweetens the pot with any kind of a second significant piece, but Williams has other ..."

Markakis, Roberts still high on O's to-do list

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October 30

Baltimore Sun

"Orioles president Andy MacPhail reiterated yesterday that contract extensions for second baseman Brian Roberts and outfielder Nick Markakis are among the organization's offseason priorities and that the team has talked "generalities" with the agents of the two players. Although there hasn't been real movement on extensions for either player, that's expected to change in the coming days. "I would say we're still in the initial contact phase, but there have been conversations as it relates to both players," MacPhail said. "We have plenty of time to talk to the two of them, but it's not a horse race. It's not one over the other or one ahead of the other. We're interested in talking to them ..."

For Brian out loud

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October 7

Chicago Sun-Times

"In the bitter end, the difference might have been Brian Roberts, after all. Maybe he wouldn't have overcome the walks in Game 1 or the errors in Game 2, but the Cubs' woeful lack of playoff hitting comes down to two big deficiencies: First, they have no left-handed hitters whom opponents respect. If you don't believe that, ask yourself how many pitches a Dodgers left-hander threw against the Cubs in seven regular-season and three postseason games. The answer: none. The second one is even bigger. And of all people, Alfonso Soriano alluded to it after Saturday night's elimination when he suggested the Cubs aren't built to hit in the postseason. That starts with Soriano and his all-or-nothing ..."

Still chasing Roberts

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October 6

Chicago Sun-Times

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"The Cubs will continue their pursuit of a speedy leadoff hitter, keeping the Baltimore Orioles' Brian Roberts at the top of their wish list. They also are expected to be players in the free-agent derby for ace left-hander CC Sabathia. Whatever they do, the team they bring to spring training will look nothing like the group that sat stunned in that visitors clubhouse Saturday night. ''When you get over the shock of what's happened, that's what will bother me the most, when you see guys go to other teams,'' DeRosa said. ''I would love to have the same team back, but it's never that way. When you're on a special team like this, it's tough. ''There is nothing this team lacked. Nothing. So for ..."

Roberts's Future Is A Priority

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September 28

Washington Post

"During the Baltimore Orioles' off day on Thursday, Brian Roberts flipped through channels and stopped when he came across games with playoff implications. "That's what baseball's all about, seeing those teams going at it, the excitement," said Roberts, who has yet to play for a winning team while with the Orioles. "That's what you play for. That's what you want. Every player wants that and wants to go through that, and I'm no different." But whether Roberts will ever have that experience as an Oriole remains a question. With Roberts entering the final year of his contract -- throwing into question his long-term status with the team -- the Orioles will be faced with a decision: Either ..."

O's to talk extensions with Roberts, Markakis

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September 20

Baltimore Sun

"Ten days before the start of a pivotal offseason, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said he will explore contract extension talks with the agents of Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis in the coming weeks. Roberts, who turns 31 on Oct. 9, is expected to be the higher priority because the two-time All-Star second baseman is eligible for free agency at the end of next season. "It would be difficult for me envisioning an offseason where we don't explore and see what their appetite [for a contract extension] is given that he is coming into his final season next year," MacPhail said. "I would expect that we have a conversation. Where it's going to go? I don't know. But I would ..."

Roberts Deals With Voting Snub

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July 14

Washington Post

"Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts missed his final chance last week at earning a third all-star honor, finishing a distant fourth in online fan voting for the final spot on the American League roster. The snub hasn't dampened what's been a standout first half for Roberts. "It's just part of the game. All-star games are great," he said. "It's something I'll cherish forever, but there's a lot of people that are left out that are having pretty good years. It's not the end of the world. It's a fun thing, and you shouldn't take it too seriously.""

Roberts Rewards O's For Hanging On

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June 25

Washington Post

"And while Baltimore Orioles President Andy MacPhail reiterated that the trade of his second baseman was never close to being consummated, contrary to rampant media speculation, even Roberts himself wasn't immune from the wave. One morning, he received a text from his agent that read simply: "I think it's done." Of course, the deal was never done and Roberts remained an Oriole. And while the Orioles have been thankful for this throughout the season, the point was emphasized on Tuesday, when Roberts lifted them to a tension-filled, 7-5 victory over the Cubs."

DeRosa still hearing about O's Roberts

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June 24

Chicago Tribune

columnist Fred Mitchell

"Mark DeRosa had managed to repress the persistent spring-training rumor that Brian Roberts would be acquired from Baltimore and replace him as the Cubs' second baseman. With Roberts and the Orioles in town for a first-ever three-game series against the Cubs beginning Tuesday at Wrigley Field, "I knew those questions would start coming," DeRosa said. Yet he fielded the query as deftly as he would a one-hop smash to his right. Several trade scenarios had Roberts coming to the Cubs in exchange for various combinations of players including Sean Marshall, Jason Marquis, Kevin Hart, Ronny Cedeno, Rich Hill, Sean Gallagher, Tyler Colvin and Felix Pie. Outfielder Eric Patterson's name ..."