Brian Roberts May Be Headed To Chicago

The trade winds that are surrounding Brian Roberts could potentially blow him into the windy city. Various sources are reporting that Brian Roberts could be traded to the Chicago Cubs at some point today. The switch hitting second baseman would thrive in a deeper line up and on a team which will be far more comptetive than the lowly Baltimore Orioles.

CUBS WOULD GET:

Roberts is a switch hitter who should thrive hitting between Soriano and either Derek Lee or Aramis Ramirez. Roberts provides significant stolen base potential and a good glove in the infield. This trade should allow players like Ryan Theriot and Mark Derosa to return to the super utility roles in which they thrive.

FANTASY IMPACT:

Roberts was already one of the top ranked fantasy second basemen and this potential deal could increase his fantasy value even higher. While his homerun totals should remain about the same since Wrigley is a smaller park similar to Camden Yards, Roberts should easily score more runs playing in a more potent offense. Additionally, if he bats second in the lineup he should see better pitches to hit given the far superior lineup protection he will receive in Chicago. This should help him maintain a .300 average with a higher OBP and a potential for more stolen bases as Pinella will likely turn him loose on the base paths.

Another interesting angle regarding this rumored trade, revolves around Roberts implication in the Mitchell Report. It seems to me that the Orioles trading Roberts would be another step in severing organizational ties to the steroid era. Current and former Oriole player were hit hard by the revelations in the Mitchell Report, and this deal falls in line with the recent trade of Miguel Tejada to Houston and the untimely retirement of Rafael Palmerio.