Contract alone can't keep Roberts in Baltimore

The Baltimore Sun points out that Brian Roberts is still on trade watch, despite his new contract with the Orioles.

Roberts had a very limited no-trade clause for the final year of his previous contract, allowing him to designate four teams to which he could not be traded. That was carried forward when the final year of the old deal was rolled into what essentially is a new five-year contract.

The no-trade protection graduates through the next three years of the contract. He will be allowed to designate eight teams he doesn't want to play for next year and 12 teams the following season. The no-trade clause becomes blanket protection a couple of months before Roberts would get it anyway as a 10-5 player.

He's certainly an attractive candidate to any contending team needing a leadoff hitting second baseman.