Roberts to miss FanFest to avoid stress, Duquette wants him to reconsider

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

I don't think you can have guys on the DL during the offseason. When the dates kick in that you can, I don't know. I assume it approximates the season start and end. We lose some flexibilty with it now but will be able to put him on the 60 day DL at some point and move him off the 40 man roster later.

Right, so the only real negative, is that if we add someone before OD, we'd be forced to make a real tough decision about Rick Vandenhurk, Josh Bell, etc. Sort of a non-issue to me.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Right, so the only real negative, is that if we add someone before OD, we'd be forced to make a real tough decision about Rick Vandenhurk, Josh Bell, etc. Sort of a non-issue to me.

Yeah, I don't think it's necessarily a critical issue but it could limit us assuming more moves.

[Moose Milligan]

It's really sad if we've seen the last of Brian Roberts, for a couple of reasons. First, he had a great career for an awful franchise and never played on a winner. Second, to go out like that....is just really sad. I can't imagine seeing him suiting up for the Orioles again, either.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

It's really sad if we've seen the last of Brian Roberts, for a couple of reasons. First, he had a great career for an awful franchise and never played on a winner. Second, to go out like that....is just really sad. I can't imagine seeing him suiting up for the Orioles again, either.

No worries Moose. This is the Orioles we're talking about. He won't put on cleats for 2yrs, his contract will expire, he'll give it a go in 2014, some team like the Yanks will take a flier on the now 36year old, and he'll have a career resurgence.

[Frobby]

Does anyone actually know the rules for insurance for MLB players these days, or is everyone just talking out of their butts?

I'll give you one guess.....

[SammyBirdland]

Don't worry, guys. The same guy who does our MRI's also writes the contract insurance policies.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Don't worry, guys. The same guy who does our MRI's also writes the contract insurance policies.

Yeah, PA should have went with State Farm.

[TGO]

I don't think you can have guys on the DL during the offseason. When the dates kick in that you can, I don't know. I assume it approximates the season start and end. We lose some flexibilty with it now but will be able to put him on the 60 day DL at some point and move him off the 40 man roster later.

Basically, yeah. The 60-day DL opens on or around Opening Day and closes some time after the playoffs.

I know I may be reaching, but I wonder if there is a secondary medical issue in play here, something like clinical anxiety.

With concussion syndrome I'd feel pretty comfortable wagering there's a clinical depression issue. But knowing about that isn't necessary for me to be okay with him skipping FanFest. The physical issues (sensitivity to light, sound, etc) are enough.

[Tony-OH]

Is that true?

I said/ asked this earlier in the thread... Hoping someone with better knowledge then myself about this could answer the question.

What stops us from putting him on the 60day DL? and doesn't that take him off the 40man?

I don't believe a player can be put on any disabled list until the season starts and must be removed at seasons end. Only during the season does a 60-day DL not count against the 40-man roster.

[DuffMan]

Tony have you heard anything at all about Roberts and if he's even considering retiring at this point?

[Skeletor]

I don't believe a player can be put on any disabled list until the season starts and must be removed at seasons end. Only during the season does a 60-day DL not count against the 40-man roster.

This is correct. At the end of the season, a player on the 60 day DL either has to be put on the 40 man roster or DFA'd.

[Nigel Tufnel]

From bb-ref:

The second type of disabled list is the 60-day disabled list. A player on this list can be replaced both on the active roster and the Major League roster during the regular season and post-season. However, he must return to the Major League roster during the off-season if his team wants to retain his services for the future. This is used for more serious injuries that require many weeks of healing. Some players who are in fact retired are put on the 60-day disabled list for insurance purposes; this was the case of Albert Belle, who spent two full seasons on the Baltimore Orioles disabled list after announcing his retirement in spring training 2001 because of a degenerative hip injury. This move allowed the Orioles to claim reimbursement for a portion of Belle's guaranteed salary from an insurance company, but it also meant that they had to put Belle's name back on the Major League roster after the 2001 and 2002 seasons, thus losing a spot for an actual player.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Disabled_list

[Spoonless]

I'm somewhat amused at everyone posting about how he should retire and give up the money and "do the right thing". MLB contracts are guaranteed; it's just the way the business is. I don't see why he should feel an obligation to give up money he's entitled to as per his contract. The organization knew the risks while negotiating the deal. To say he owes it to the fans to retire and pass the money back to the organization is unwarranted, in my opinion.

Do I agree with fully guaranteed contracts? No. But, as his contract was negotiated fairly under the rules and regulations agreed to between the owners and the MLBPA, I see no reason why he should feel any obligation to pass up a portion of his contract.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'm somewhat amused at everyone posting about how he should retire and give up the money and "do the right thing". MLB contracts are guaranteed; it's just the way the business is. I don't see why he should feel an obligation to give up money he's entitled to as per his contract. The organization knew the risks while negotiating the deal. To say he owes it to the fans to retire and pass the money back to the organization is kind of asinine, in my opinion.

Do I agree with fully guaranteed contracts? No. But, as his contract was negotiated fairly under the rules and regulations agreed to between the owners and the MLBPA, I see no reason why he should feel any obligation to pass up a portion of his contract.

That's true and I agree. I'd certainly want to keep the money. That said we could also file a grievance since it appears to be caused by hitting himself in the head (on purpose) with his bat. I think that's a little bit of the rub.

[Spoonless]

That's true and I agree. I'd certainly want to keep the money. That said we could also file a grievance since it appears to be caused by hitting himself in the head (on purpose) with his bat. I think that's a little bit of the rub.

OK, but did he exhibit this behavior before he signed the contract? Could it not have been seen as a contributing factor to future injury? If he became concussed in some other way, would those self-inflicted hits have not played a part? Similarly, would he have gotten a concussion without having ever performed any baseball activities, solely from his repeated actions in a vacuum? When they signed him, they signed him for his baseball ability, but it clearly came with whatever bad habits he possessed.