Brian Roberts’s herniated disc is now a growing concern.

When it comes to MacPhail, though, this is a very odd proposition at this point in the season. He’s a notoriously deliberate contestant in trade talks and is normally very close to the vest in terms of negotiating.

The fact that he’s letting it be known the Orioles are looking for second base help and wants to get some during spring training is possibly a harbinger that Roberts’ back problems are going to be a long-term issue in 2010.

Roberts has been a consistently good player during his career, reliably giving the Orioles 3 to 5 wins above replacement level. That level of production is not easy to replace. With his fielding sliding lately, however, a great glove man could really help.