The Orioles have been there before – dealing with players they’ve signed (in the past) to big deals only to see them collapse with injuries that seem to come back like weeds in the lawn.
But Brian Roberts may take the cake. The Orioles have seen, in their history, Glenn Davis get injured in a bar fight and by sitting in the dugout, Felix Pie’s, well, unusual “twisted testicle” injury just before joining the Orioles, and then Fred Lynn, best known for his Orioles tenure for a hilarious Mike Ricigliano cartoon showing Lynn in a doctor’s bed with a nurse-call button in the outfield.
Yet nobody seems to have as many unusual injuries as Roberts, who still keeps coming back.
Roberts has been an Oriole since 2001, catching a breath of the Cal Ripken era before playing for the team in a “Joe Orsulak” situation, being a decent player on lousy teams and being off the active roster before the really good things happened (playoffs).
Roberts is a career .280 hitter and a two-time All-Star (2005, 2007). Roberts has 275 career stolen bases (as of 2012) and has been a solid fielder at second base as well. He’s been the type of good, get-on-base player you would want at the top of your Orioles fantasy team lineup in the past. In 2004, for good measure, Roberts led the American League in doubles.
But the injury situation has been the biggest problem. In 2010, Roberts suffered a herniated disk in his back in April and didn’t return to the lineup until July. In May of 2011, Roberts suffered a head injury sliding into first base against the Red Sox and was out for the rest of the season.
In 2012, Roberts was on the disabled list to begin the season, played rehab games and finally returned on June 12. He played for a little over a month, then had season-ending surgery. He missed the playoffs (except watching them as a cheerleader).
In 2013, Roberts had a strong Spring Training and looked a little like the Roberts of old. Then he ruptured a knee tendon in the third game of the season and hasn’t been back since. Now, the hope is that Roberts will be back by July 4.
At the end of May, manager Buck Showalter told MLB.com that Roberts was doing some “tee work” and making progress. Roberts, who returned to the club to visit during the Tampa Bay series last week, was also optimistic.
But the rumblings about Roberts’ future have been many and often. Roberts is now 35 – unless you are Cy Young, Julio Franco or Jamie Moyer, fairly old for a baseball player. His injuries tend to be more “when” than “if” situations and defensively Roberts may not be able to return to the form he’s had during much of his career.
When Yankees future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera was injured last season snagging fly balls before a game, he could have retired then. But Rivera didn’t want to see his career end on a note like that, a la football’s Joe Theisman, who was injured in a game, then gone.
Roberts, who has spent more time recovering and rehabbing than actually playing for the better part of two-and-a-half seasons, also doesn’t want to leave the game like that.
Roberts is currently in the last year of a $40 million contract he signed with the Orioles in February 2009; he’s made money, but has been hurt for much of the time.
The other options at second have been sketchy. Ryan Flaherty, a favorite of Showalter, has batted just .164 this season over 122 at-bats. $1.64 won’t even get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks these days, though Flaherty’s defense has been excellent.
Alexi Casilla, the other option, has been hitting .224, though also playing well in the field. But Casilla has been banged up himself with a finger injury sustained during the Tampa series. Yet Casilla isn’t viewed as any real on-base or power threat as a hitter.
The Orioles are in good position to play right along with the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays for a division title. But along with pitching, where their team ERA is second worst in the AL, second base is an area that must be improved upon.
Is Roberts the answer? The Orioles can only hope so. And, hope that he stays healthy enough on THIS return engagement for them to find out.
8 Responses
Gil? I think that was Pie.
Correction. Felix Pie.
To be fair, I don’t think even Chris Davis’s $3.38 would buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
Actually .53 cents will get you a cup of coffee if you bring your own cup and get the refill price. That being said Brian Roberts can only help you if he can play, if he can’t so what/, what has he cost you. This isn’t football and the contract doesn’t count against a cap. He’s already paid in guaranteed contract whether he plays or not, so it can only be a win win situation.
Well I would say yes we need Roberts if not Buck the great manager is going to keep this team from winning this year by playing a bum at 2nd base and catcher .Just like he did today 6/15 way to give the game away Buck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You aren’t going to tell me we don’t have someone in the minors who can play these positions and hit , because Flaughty and Teagarden don’t belong here peroid let alone be playing today or any game . They don’t have a 170 avg. between them WOW what a joke a great manager are you kidding me. Lets be real they can’t hit here we can’t carry guys in this division let alone all year and try to make a run at winning the division or win in the playoffs. He should have done everything to win today so we could atleast win the series now there is a chance of a spilt great Buck , Flaughty hasn’t show a sign of even coming close to hitting here but the great Buck keeps running the bum out there !!! what a joke , everyone knows I am right someone needs to step up and say something to Buck cause if not we won’t keep winning let alone win the division………
to be fair, back up catchers are usually a black hole. the Yankees have had their fair share of lousy BUC’s but they always kept winning – the position is of minimal importance, particularly if they pinch hit in big spots, this can be problematic when Buck insists on DHing Wieters, something Torre was never too keen on when giving Posada a breather.
Flaherty is pretty average defensively. Plus he doesn’t seem to be all that great on the relay to home, I’ve seen a few instances where his relays have been up the line. I know that Valencia is a 3rd baseman by trade and perhaps a corner OFer and INFer but as he’s been a plus defensive 3rd baseman in the past, perhaps he has the skillset to play some 2nd??
Flaherty just isn’t cutting it, on top of his abysmal average Buck insists on letting him hit in big spots late in the game with other options on the bench.
Is there any chance of swapping star prospects plus an enigma like Arrieta/Matusz for Jurickson Profar??? The Rangers just commited to Elvis Andrus and re upped Kinsler through 2017. There’s a chance Bundy could be damaged goods and his stock may have already fallen with his recent arm troubles but dealing from the surplus of young pitching to nab Profar who is blocked for the next few years in the infield would be worthwhile.