All winter, a
Brian Roberts to the Cubs trade has kind of seemed like an inevitability. The Cubs and Orioles have been talking about this deal since before the
Mitchell Report and it seemed like only a matter of time before these two crazy kids got together and figured things out. Now that doesn't appear terribly likely as
Lou Piniella has this to say
in today's Chicago Sun-Times:
''I don't think we're going to do anything, to be honest with you,'' he said when asked about trading for an infielder. ''If we do, it'll be in the outfield. ... It would be a right-handed bat to help out in center field. I would think that's probably a possibility, as opposed to the other things you all have been hearing about.''
That bat is rumored to be
Marlon Byrd, who wouldn't help the Cubbies nearly as much as Brian Roberts would. It's worth noting that the Roberts deal reportedly fell apart on a huge 9 player trade that also involved
Eric Bedard and that that story was, as near as I can tell,
broken on Hire Jim Essian! earlier this week. Perhaps now
Mark DeRosa can sleep easily and the Orioles and M's will complete their much rumored Bedard trade.
