Oft-injured outfielder given his release By Chris Haft / MLB.com SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants made their first major roster move of Spring Training on Thursday by releasing outfielder Dave Roberts, who was squeezed out by the club's emphasis on youth and his own injury woes. Roberts' departure marked a dubious milestone for the Giants, who must pay him the $6.5 million he's owed this year. That's believed to be the largest sum the club has absorbed upon releasing a player. Asked how difficult it was to "eat" Roberts' salary, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said, "It's tough to answer, because this is what we do for a living." Cutting ties with Roberts this early in Spring Training theoretically gives him ample time to join another team. It helps that he can be signed for the Major League minimum of $400,000. Sabean said that he tried to trade Roberts this spring and during the offseason but found no takers -- likely because his 2009 salary was a deterrent to a deal. Roberts, 36, appeared in only three of San Francisco's first eight exhibition games while experiencing pain in his left knee, which required arthroscopic surgery last season. "For whatever reason, he wasn't right coming into Spring Training and we had to nurse him along to the point where he was in games. That's the frustrating part," Sabean said. "I'm sure it was frustrating for him as it was for us." The Giants parted with Roberts even though outfielders Fred Lewis (right foot) and Nate Schierholtz (back) remain physically limited. Lewis, who rated himself as 65 percent recovered, and Schierholtz are expected to be fully ready by Opening Day. Their absences have given John Bowker, 25, and Eugenio Velez, 26, additional playing time in left field. Sabean acknowledged that with Roberts' departure, the switch-hitting Velez's chances of making the Opening Day roster as a utilityman improved significantly. Velez lifted his batting average to .333 by going 2-for-3 in Thursday's 4-2 exhibition loss to Oakland. "There just wasn't light at the end of the tunnel for him," Sabean said of Roberts, who was 1-for-6 this spring. Roberts weathered two injury-marred seasons with the Giants after signing a three-year, $18 million contract in December 2006. Bone spurs in his left elbow forced him onto the disabled list early in the 2007 season before his knee problems arose last year. Those ailments limited Roberts to 166 games with the Giants, in which he batted .252. He was a .270 hitter before joining the Giants. Roberts returned from the elbow injury to hit .296 beginning July 1 that season, finishing with 31 stolen bases in 36 tries. But last year he never fully rebounded from his knee ailment and batted .224. Widely regarded as the friendliest player in the Major Leagues, Roberts thanked the Giants for giving him sufficient time to find another ballclub. "They could have strung me along," he said. However, Roberts admitted that being released while he was still "trying to get a feel for playing" surprised him. "I've got nothing but great things to say about Sabes and this organization," Roberts said. "... It's just hard for me, battling my knee injury, that I [wasn't] even close to being as productive as I wanted to be for this organization. That's kind of a tough pill for me to swallow." Roberts remains part of Boston Red Sox lore for his stolen base in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees. It launched a dramatic reversal that ended with Boston winning the World Series. He'll also remain a beloved figure among the Giants, who revered him for his ceaselessly positive attitude. "It's sad to see anybody go, but with a guy like Dave, it's really tough because he was a sparkplug to us," right-hander Matt Cain said. "He was always helpful in everything he did." Said manager Bruce Bochy, "I wish him nothing but the best, believe me." The Giants also optioned right-handed relievers Keiichi Yabu and Kelvin Pichardo to Triple-A Fresno. Yabu finished 3-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 60 appearances for the Giants last year but owned a 23.62 ERA in two spring appearances (seven runs in 2 2/3 innings). Sabean will attempt to trade Yabu, though the pitcher's age (40) could dampen interest. Yabu's demotion reflected the Giants' faith in non-roster relievers such as Justin Miller and Brandon Medders, who are unscored upon in three outings apiece, and Rule 5 Draftee Luis Perdomo, who has a 2.25 ERA and five strikeouts in four innings spanning four appearances. "We've got more inventory," Sabean said. The moves left 54 players remaining in camp. --

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