ForceEight Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 BALTIMORE -- 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 that we'd love to have Brian come back," MacPhail said Thursday. "We're still working on it. The market hasn't completely played itself out yet. Hopefully we can get something done." http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/arti...sp&c_id=bal Sounds like Roberts doesn't want to sign in such a bad market. Not good for us, because he's probably not coming back if he doesn't sign before the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc. Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I think Brian also realizes that he is one of very few good lead-off hitters in the league and one of very few good 2b in the league. Given his service time, he deserves as much as Markakis. He probably would also like a 4-5 year deal. I know many think that would be excessive for Roberts, but I think you have to pay a guy who's been loyal and worthwhile and upstanding as a member of the organization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForceEight Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 That's what the O's site is reporting, that he wants four years instead of the three that MacPhail is offering. I'd prefer three years, but you can't really make an argument against giving him the fourth. He certainly deserves it, and we certainly need him to take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundercleetz Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 I am not sure if I would extend Roberts. If we are uncompetitive again this season, does extending Roberts do us any good? We might as well see what happens this season. If we are bad, we trade him at the deadline or take the draft picks. If we are good, Roberts will have a reason to want to come back at the end of the season, we can sign him then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForceEight Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 I am not sure if I would extend Roberts. If we are uncompetitive again this season, does extending Roberts do us any good? We might as well see what happens this season. If we are bad, we trade him at the deadline or take the draft picks. If we are good, Roberts will have a reason to want to come back at the end of the season, we can sign him then. The difference is that we may never find an opportunity to sign him as cheaply as we can right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundercleetz Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 The difference is that we may never find an opportunity to sign him as cheaply as we can right now. That was going to be my next question, do we really know this? Like dc said, Brian probably realizes that he is one of very few good lead-off hitters in the league and one of very few good 2b in the league. Roberts is less than a year away from free agency, for all we know he has no intentions of signing an extension unless the offer blows him out of the water. Being that Orlando Hudson has not signed yet, why would Brian sign at the dead bottom of the market? Brian's best interest is to wait this thing out another season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForceEight Posted January 25, 2009 Author Share Posted January 25, 2009 That was going to be my next question, do we really know this? Like dc said, Brian probably realizes that he is one of very few good lead-off hitters in the league and one of very few good 2b in the league. Roberts is less than a year away from free agency, for all we know he has no intentions of signing an extension unless the offer blows him out of the water. Being that Orlando Hudson has not signed yet, why would Brian sign at the dead bottom of the market? Brian's best interest is to wait this thing out another season. That's right, it is in his best interest to wait. It's a buyer's market, and that's the exact reason why it's more important to go after him now than at any other time. Unless MacPhail doesn't plan on going after him at all (which is pretty obviously not the case). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc. Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 Brian wants to be in Baltimore. He just wants a fair price. I honestly don't think his waiting has anything to do with market. He just wants fair. He deserves it. And also, between Pie and Jones, we probably have some other lead-off hitters if ever we really need them. But I would still love Roberts' leadership and community-sensibility around here. I think he has the ability to be a Ripken-esque personality for this team. I haven't seen that in Markakis or Jones yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForceEight Posted January 28, 2009 Author Share Posted January 28, 2009 Ya know, I hadn't realized that we signed Chris Gomez back again, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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