Brian Roberts not traded to Cubs: Latest - Dead, according to the O's

[aracko]

mlbtraderumors.com

 

Orioles Hangout is reporting that the trade of Brian Roberts to the Cubs is final. They're saying it's for Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, and Ronny Cedeno. I'll update the post as info comes along.

 

 

Looks like a steal to me for Baltimore.

 

Total rebuilding mode and now is the time to do what we can to acquire Mora.

[JohnBriggs12]

"Looks like a steal for Baltimore" Are you kidding? The Cubs are giving up nothing that would help them this year or can't be easily replaced (as in Marshall) for a top flight 2nd baseman and leadoff hitter. The gap between the Cubs and the Brewers just got wider.

[Ennder]

The gap is wider until the first Cubs pitcher gets hurt and they have to bring back Traschel to fill in for him.

[Invader3K]

The gap is wider until the first Cubs pitcher gets hurt and they have to bring back Traschel to fill in for him.

You could say the same thing about the Brewers. "We'll be fine as long as Sheets is healthy."

 

[RobertR]

I wouldn't say Chicago is giving up nothing. Marshall and Gallagher are young pitchers who may not project to be top of the rotation, but at least project to be solid contributers. I'd rather have pitching depth than 2B depth. Cedeneo is a throw in, but he's still young enough that he could turn into something.

 

I think the Cubs do come out better from this deal, although I don't know what they'll do with DeRosa. The upgrade from DeRosa to Roberts isn't anywhere close to the upgrade they could have gotten at SS.

 

Robert

[Ennder]

The gap is wider until the first Cubs pitcher gets hurt and they have to bring back Traschel to fill in for him.

You could say the same thing about the Brewers. "We'll be fine as long as Sheets is healthy."

 

 

It is not the same thing at all. Those were the Cubs #6 and #7 pitchers. If Dempster fails as a starter they are turning to a low end prospect to start. Yeah going from Sheets to Parra is a downgrade but it is nowhere near the same as going from Zambrano to some low end prospect.

[JohnBriggs12]

The gap is wider until the first Cubs pitcher gets hurt and they have to bring back Traschel to fill in for him.

Nice wishful thinking there Ennder. I suppose the Cub plane could go down too.

 

Oh, and did you catch a glimpse of Kevin Hart late last season? He's going to be the guy who fills in if a starter goes down. He was ahead of Gallagher on their pecking order. They are also on the verge of signing Jon Lieber too. Sure he's no great shakes but that's a nice lineup he'll have supporting him.

 

 

[fondybrewfan]

I am not sure this is final yet. It hasnt shown up anywhere else and that site has been wrong in the past. The guy posted that Juan Gonzalez signed with the Yankees. A poster later told him the paper he got the info from is essentially a Spanish Onion. Ill believe this where I see it somewhere else

[endaround]

Yes if it goes through ti makes the Cubs much better, assuming Roberts doesn't fail a drug test. Roberts won't be much better than DeRosa was last year, but he'll be better than DeRosa would be this year.

[aracko]

I dont see how Marshall didnt impress you last year. The kid has a really bright future. Lefties mature later and he is ahead of the curve.

 

 

 

They believe Gallagher has a better curve ball then even Rich Hill. The guy throws 5 pitches with success including a ground ball inducing sinker.

 

 

 

As for Cedeno - he can play 2b, SS, and 3b very well. He had a bad year but is expected to hit for very high average and get on base at a good clip. I wish the Brewers had a player like him.

[monty57]

For the record:

 

 

 

Roberts is a 30 year old 2B making $4,200,000. Last year, he hit .290/.377/.432/.808. For his career, he's .281/.351/.409/.760.

 

 

 

Cedano is a 24 year old SS going into his third year. In his career (688 AB), he's .249/.277/.349/.626, but at AAA last season (287 AB) he hit .359/.422/.537/.958 and in 55 games of the Winter League, he hit .300/.396/.415/.811.

 

 

 

Gallagher is a 22 year old RHP. He pitched mainly in AA, where he started 11 games. He was 7-2 with a 3.39 ERA, 61 IP, 3 HR, 24 BB / 54 K, 1.28 WHIP. With the Cubs in late season call up, he pitched 8 games in relief (14.2 IP), 12 BB, 5 K, 3 HR, 2.11 WHIP, .317 BAA, 8.59 ERA

 

 

 

Marshall is a 25 year old LHP going into his second season. Last year with the Cubs, he pitched in 21 games, 103.1 IP, 13 HR, 35 BB, 67 K, 7-8 W/L, 1.37 WHIP, .267 BAA, 3.92 ERA

 

 

 

The Cubs gave up a lot to get Roberts, but once again, they have unlimited money to spend. I don't know what this does to DeRosa, who hit a respectabe .792 OPS last season. I don't believe either of them can play SS, so they now have two above average 2B, and Theriot at SS.

[Ennder]

Looking at the defensive numbers it is a defense neutral move or maybe a small upgrade.

 

DeRosa probably goes into super sub mode and gives them a quality backup if anyone but Soto gets hurt. He has played ok in the OF and is not bad at 3B, 2B or SS and I imagine he could play 1B.

[SmartBall]

We didn't really have a use for Roberts, but I hate to see the Cubs aquire him. I am not a guy who feels that a franchise has to make moves to respond to their rivals, but it sure sucks to see the Cubs getting better.

[Fatter than Joey]

I am not sure this is final yet.

 

It's not final as far as I can tell. I don't think that there is any question that Roberts would be an upgrade over their 2bs of 2007, and perhaps they would slide DeRosa over to SS. Roberts is signed for $4M in 2007, the Cubs could offer him Arby's in 2008. It's not as if he has a crazy contract. Cedeno is garbage, and I don't think Marshall is anything special. In either case there are no deals done -- as far as I can see.

 

The gap is wider until the first Cubs pitcher gets hurt and they have to bring back Traschel to fill in for him.

 

I think that this gamble is a reasonable one, if it keeps Theriot off the field.

[Ennder]

I think that this gamble is a reasonable one, if it keeps Theriot off the field.

 

 

 

It certainly is, I was just trying to point out that there is a downside that lowers a bit of the value they get from adding Roberts. Their pitching depth is really ugly now.

 

 

 

I think they'll start Theriot at SS over DeRosa though, so they aren't keeping him off the field.

[Klements Bratwurst]

I still haven't seen anything official, but I think this move makes the Cubs a bit better, but I think they did lose some pitching depth. We have like eight guys that could start for any team (Sheets, Gallardo, Suppan, Parra, Capuano, Bush, Villaneuva, and Vargas) and the Cubs have like six (Zambrano, Lilly, Hill, Marquis, Dempster and Hart).

 

If Marquis reverts to his 2006 St. Louis performance, and Dempster who will probably turn out to very average or below average at best as a starter, they only have Kevin Hart in reserve (an unknown commodity yet).

 

Grant it, the Crew could make a trade to thin some of their depth out, but even if you lose one arm, you still have better options top to bottom in Brewer Blue.

 

Just think what might happen if Wrigley plays like a pitchers park next year? Lilly, and Marquis might be expensive middle of the road starters (specifically Marquis more back end of the rotation type starter)

[Fatter than Joey]

As for Cedeno - he can play 2b, SS, and 3b very well. He had a bad year but is expected to hit for very high average and get on base at a good clip. I wish the Brewers had a player like him.

 

We had a lot of players like him in 2002. He has a lousy OBP. He is basically the Anti-Weeks.

 

The Cubs gave up a lot to get Roberts, but once again, they have unlimited money to spend. I don't know what this does to DeRosa, who hit a respectabe .792 OPS last season. I don't believe either of them can play SS, so they now have two above average 2B, and Theriot at SS.

 

Well Roberts is an All-Star and is not too far removed from a .900 OPS. At $4M he is a bargain. As far as DeRosa, I suspect that as Ennder suggests he becomes a 2005-06 version of Bill Hall, or they move him to SS, which he is able to play. He may not be as good defensively as Theriot, but he can hit better.

[Ennder]

One of the more legit posters at northsidebaseball posted that his source says the deal is done as well but that one of the names is wrong. I assume the name that is wrong isn't Roberts~.

[cooprules]

Found this link on another post at NSBB.

 

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/2008/01/latest_brian_roberts_rumor.html

[Brian the Automator]

Well Roberts is an All-Star and is not too far removed from a .900 OPS. At $4M he is a bargain. As far as DeRosa, I suspect that as Ennder suggests he becomes a 2005-06 version of Bill Hall, or they move him to SS, which he is able to play. He may not be as good defensively as Theriot, but he can hit better.

At $4M he would be a bargain, but actually he's owed 14.3M (total) over the next two years. Still reasonable, but not as nice as $4M.

This certainly helps the Cubs in the short-term, but Gallagher and Marshall are two arms that most teams would absolutely love to have in their organization. As others have mentioned, not necessarily top of the rotation guys, but depth like that is very, very important.

[joepepsi]

Posted in the last 40 minutes on the Roch Around the Clock Blog at baltimoresun.com: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/roch/blog/2008/01/latest_brian_roberts_rumor.html

Latest Brian Roberts rumor In a span of about five minutes, I've been buried by e-mails - including one from Baseball America - and phone calls checking to see if the Brian Roberts deal to the Cubs is official. A team spokesman said he just contacted president Andy MacPhail, who insisted that the rumor is "very inaccurate." The Sun's Dan Connolly just spoke to MacPhail, who said nothing has changed since last night. I'll keep you posted, of course, if anything develops.

[endaround]

The scariest part about this is that it shows the Cubs braintrust might actually be thinking ahead. While many teams would have assumed DeRosa would repeat his 2007, the Cubs seem to realize that he's likely to fall off and so got a guy who while unlikely to improve DeRosa's 2007 is able to match it. The thought process is more worrisome than getting an 800 OPS 2B.

[Fatter than Joey]

One of the more legit posters at northsidebaseball posted that his source says the deal is done as well but that one of the names is wrong.

I know I have heard Gallagher +Murton.

[Fatter than Joey]

At $4M he would be a bargain, but actually he's owed 14.3M (total) over the next two years. Still reasonable, but not as nice as $4M.

 

 

 

Yep. You are right, my bad. Roberts signed an extension that calls for $6.3 million in 2008 and $8 million in 2009. Certainly not as nice as $4M but I would certainly agree this is a reasonable contract.

[JohnBriggs12]

Acquiring Roberts allows them to use Fukudome in CF if they choose and DeRosa in RF. It also frees them up to deal Murton for guess what? Guys to replace the starting pitching depth they will be giving up in this deal. Other than the possible exception of SS with Theriot and CF with Pie, they will have a very imposing lineup if Fukudome is close to being as advertised. Defensively, they've made huge upgrades this offseason and that includes letting Kendall go to where?