Brian Roberts

Injury issues limited Roberts once again in 2012. His season didn't start until June due to a concussion suffered in May 2011 and he then had season-ending surgery to repair a labrum tear in his right hip in July. He's played in just 115 games over the last three years for the Orioles. The good news is that he was doing baseball activities in mid-November, so there really is a possibility that Roberts is fully healthy for spring training. Roberts failed to get an extra-base hit in his 66 at-bats in 2012, so his ability to do anything like he did in the mid-2000s is questionable. Now a 35-year-old, Roberts certainly won't run like he did in his heyday. The Orioles will have Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla compete with Roberts for the second base job. A healthy Roberts should start, but it is hard to expect much from him these days.

Roberts continued to be racked by injuries, with a concussion the enemy in 2011. The Orioles' de facto star has only compiled 439 plate appearances in the last two seasons. To make matters worse, his bat seemed to decline hard in 2011 as well, as Roberts only managed a .221/.273/.331 line when he was on the field. The combination of injuries and his 34th birthday in October suggest Roberts is in the twilight of his career. He's an endgame dart at this point as we'll need to see him go through full workouts without a setback during spring training.

Roberts missed two-thirds of the season with a back injury last year after he was initially projected to miss just a month. When he finally returned, Roberts ran at nearly the same rate as he did in 2009, but hit with less power than ever. His health problems also didn't stop with his back injury, as he also missed games late in the season with hip and knee injuries. Roberts' season is a good illustration of how the physical demands of playing second base can take their toll on a player's health. Look for more of his homers to turn into doubles, but also look for him to keep running and drawing walks. His presence at the top of the order should help those batting behind him.

Roberts turned in another season as one of the best fantasy second baseman. His 16 home runs were a bit more than expected and Roberts set a career high in RBIs but he has dropped 10 stolen bases in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, Roberts saw his strikeout rate creep up slightly over the same time period, so it is questionable as to whether he can hit .300 again. Expect a similar year to 2009, but he should shave a few RBI.

Roberts had another solid season despite trade rumors that continued to surface, in particular one rumor that he was headed to the Cubs. The rumors are not expected to go away soon, but a trade really doesn't effect his value unless he gets moved to a team where he would not be the leadoff hitter. Roberts can be counted on to get on base and for gap power, while he is one of the top thieves in the game with 90 steals in the last two seasons. He has averaged about 10 home runs in the last three seasons, so don't be dreaming of the 18 home runs he hit in 2005 when drafting.

Roberts was one of the more prominent players mentioned in the Mitchell Report, and he subsequently admitted to taking steroids once in 2003. If his admission is full and that's the extent of his usage, then we can trust the power numbers of the last two seasons, if not his 18-homer 2005 campaign. Meanwhile, he's among the elite fantasy second basemen, given his speed and ability to hit for a high average. Just be aware in keeper leagues that this might not last too much longer. Second basemen tend to have a shorter shelf life, and Roberts turned 30 in October.

Roberts was a huge question mark heading into the 2006 season after undergoing surgery at the end of 2005 after he suffered a gruesome elbow dislocation. The workout fanatic defied all predictions and was ready for the start of the season, but only hit one homer prior to the All-Star break, which he attributed to process of regaining strength after the surgery. The second half was a different story, as Roberts hit nine homers in 289 at-bats. On top of that, his legs still worked well as he compiled 36 stolen bases in 43 attempts, the most of his career. If Roberts can build on his second half power numbers, a season of 15-20 homers and 30 steals isn't out of reach in 2007.

The season ended horrifically for one of the few bright spots on the Orioles roster in 2005 as Roberts dislocated his elbow in a gruesome injury at the end of the season. The diminutive second baseman had been the talk of the league in the early part of the campaign, jumping out to an amazing 15 home runs and 18 steals prior to the All-Star break despite having only hit 12 home runs in his first four years in the majors. He settled down in the second half but still accumulated lofty totals across the board before the injury left his 2006 Opening Day status in doubt. Roberts is a notoriously hard worker, and if anyone can successfully rehab from the injury it's him. But even if he's 100 percent healthy, he'd be hard-pressed to match his power numbers from 2005.

Roberts is the poster child for making the most of an opportunity. After impressing in 2003 when he took over for the injured Jerry Hairston at second base, Roberts expected to start the 2004 season on the bench until Hairston broke a finger in spring training. He ended up hitting .305 with eight doubles in April and instead of yielding the second base job when Hairston returned, forced Hairston to assume a utility role for the rest of the season. Though he was ineffective in stretches, Roberts� strong August, team-leading 29 SB, and franchise-record 50 doubles have entrenched him as the Orioles starting second baseman and leadoff hitter next season. With the team looking to add another big bat behind Roberts in Baltimore�s already formidable lineup, he could finish with similar numbers in 2005.

Roberts replaced an injured Jerry Hairston Jr. at second base last season and at the top of the order, and the team didn't miss a beat. Roberts had squandered a couple of previous opportunities to seize a full-time role with the club, so 2003 was a nice surprise for the organization. Roberts' walk-rate is solid, and his speed is an obvious attraction should he manage to find a regular spot in the order. The signing of Miguel Tejada at shortstop clouds Roberts' immediate future, as he'll likely be facing an uphill battle with Jerry Hairston Jr. for playing time at second base.

Roberts was the starting second baseman when he was called up in May, but did less than Jerry Hairston with the job and eventually was sent back to Triple-A Rochester. He's a speedster who stole 22 (with four CS) at Rochester and another nine (two CS) with the Orioles in 38 games. The O's declined to offer arbitration to SS Mike Bordick, so Roberts will get an opportunity during spring training to compete for the job.