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 After hearing about the Cubs wanting to trade for Brian Roberts now for a couple of months, Mark DeRosa has spoken:
When DeRosa heard the rumors, he contacted Hendry. The two have talked more
than once this winter.
"I'm on the fence with it," DeRosa said Monday. "My personal opinion is that
I find it hard to believe a utility man is as important as an everyday player.
He's not. Period."
Well, this is what happens when you start screwing around with a players playing time....This isn't a good way to go into Spring Training.....
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There are some more quotes that I'll throw in here from the article on Cubs.com, but here is the recap of it....DeRosa isn't happy. Can you blame him? He did everything the Cubs asked of him last season, and more! He was probably their first half MVP as he shuttled around from one position to another while various players nursed injuries and struggled with production but that wasn't what he was brought to Chicago for....he was brought to be the full time second baseman:
When DeRosa signed a three-year deal with the Cubs on Nov. 14, 2006, Hendry said
they wanted him to play second base. DeRosa was eager to settle down at one
position after being bumped in Atlanta and moved around in Texas. If he starts
at second in the regular season opener March 31, it'll be the first time in his
career that DeRosa has made consecutive Opening Day starts.
 I can understand why DeRosa would be upset. It's almost like false advertising. Now, I'm not saying that Roberts wouldn't be an upgrade over DeRosa at second, but it's going to very difficult for DeRosa to play as well as he did last season if he's not happy. I'm beginning to wonder if the Cubs will be forced to trade him if they get Roberts. It's a situation where the numbers are really getting crunched up because of all the huge contracts and veterans the Cubs have. Really, the only position that they have open going into Spring Training is center field and DeRosa can't play there.
I've heard people say how DeRosa loves to play all of these different positions but I'm thinking that he's just been taking one for the team (like a slumpbuster) because he thought in the back of his mind he'd be playing full time at second this season. Then, he starts hearing all these rumors about Roberts and....
When DeRosa heard the rumors, he contacted Hendry. The two have talked more
than once this winter.
"I'm on the fence with it," DeRosa said Monday. "My personal opinion is that
I find it hard to believe a utility man is as important as an everyday player.
He's not. Period."
That sounds like a guy who just wants to be wanted....who doesn't? Well, at least he's being a professional about it by communicating his feelings to Hendry. He very easily could have sulked his way through Spring Training and the season because he felt slighted.
Who knows how this whole Roberts deal is going to pan out at this point. I can only hope that it doesn't end up with one of the Cubs best players upset and pushed out of playing time.
*DeRosa business card courtesy of Cubbie-Blue
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Unfortunately DeRosa's strength has worked against him for being an everyday player with the Cubs (if Roberts comes on board). I would be mad as well if I was him but there is not much you can do about it. If Hendry would actually listen to him and not pursue the Roberts deal based on his words to DeRo then he will be hurting this team. If DeRo was a table setter at the top of the lineup then this wouldn't be a discussion but he is not and it has come to the point of the Cubs needing a leadoff guy other than Soriano.