Jim Hendry Forgot His Meds
Wow. You hear "Alfonso Soriano is looking for a deal somewhere in the neighborhood of what Carlos Beltran got," and all you can think is "Man, nobody's that dumb."
Ahem.
The Cubs announced today that they had signed 30 year old second baseman-turned-outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136 million contract, coming in at around $17 million/year. In landing this free agent fish, the Cubbies managed to add to their lineup a career .280/.325/.510 and 210 steals, all over the course of 7 seasons and some change.
The question is, have the Cubs improved themselves, or does Jim Hendry think it's the winter of 1999? Supporters of this deal will look at Soriano's steals and power (208 career HR) and say that, as one of the few 40-40 guys in baseball history, Soriano is a great addition to any lineup. And, while he was terrible as an infielder, he's managed to convert to an effective outfielder, demonstrating a capable arm and decent range. Despite the fact that in 2005 he managed to post a sub-.300 OBP in the most batter-friendly ballpark in all of baseball, Soriano proved that he could hit in the most difficult, RFK Stadium. That will certainly lend him value in a place like Wrigley, where he will have the likes of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez to back him up in the lineup, something that was missing in Washington.
Critics, however, will point to a number of things wrong with this deal. First of all, there's the length. Eight years is a long time, especially for someone who may or may not be 31 years old at the beginning of the 2006 season but is definitely older than 29. Soriano will be 38 when the deal runs out, meaning that a lot of people see this as the new Pat Burrell: a player with an albatross contract that will need to switch to the American League to DH.
Here's the thing: this contract is similar to the ones dealt out to Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Todd Helton, Mike Hampton, and Denny Neagle. Of all those contracts, ARod, Manny, and Jeter have turned out the best. The rest, with maybe an argument for Todd Helton, have been huge burdens with little consistent return. ARod and Manny had track records testament to potential legacy as two of the best hitters of this generation. Jeter was the new Mr. October. Soriano is, well, Mr. Strikeout. He's the guy shipped to Texas in return for ARod. He's a good player, to be sure, but is he more valuable than Derrek Lee, who (if my math is correct) is to receive just about $75 million over the next 5 or so years and plays Gold Glove defense at first base? My guess is that he's not.
Still, despite all the pros and cons flying about, you can say two things about this deal. First, Hendry is pissed about last year, and second, as a Red Sox fan, "Thank you," for making Matsuzaka look like a steal.
Ahem.
The Cubs announced today that they had signed 30 year old second baseman-turned-outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136 million contract, coming in at around $17 million/year. In landing this free agent fish, the Cubbies managed to add to their lineup a career .280/.325/.510 and 210 steals, all over the course of 7 seasons and some change.
The question is, have the Cubs improved themselves, or does Jim Hendry think it's the winter of 1999? Supporters of this deal will look at Soriano's steals and power (208 career HR) and say that, as one of the few 40-40 guys in baseball history, Soriano is a great addition to any lineup. And, while he was terrible as an infielder, he's managed to convert to an effective outfielder, demonstrating a capable arm and decent range. Despite the fact that in 2005 he managed to post a sub-.300 OBP in the most batter-friendly ballpark in all of baseball, Soriano proved that he could hit in the most difficult, RFK Stadium. That will certainly lend him value in a place like Wrigley, where he will have the likes of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez to back him up in the lineup, something that was missing in Washington.
Critics, however, will point to a number of things wrong with this deal. First of all, there's the length. Eight years is a long time, especially for someone who may or may not be 31 years old at the beginning of the 2006 season but is definitely older than 29. Soriano will be 38 when the deal runs out, meaning that a lot of people see this as the new Pat Burrell: a player with an albatross contract that will need to switch to the American League to DH.
Here's the thing: this contract is similar to the ones dealt out to Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter, Todd Helton, Mike Hampton, and Denny Neagle. Of all those contracts, ARod, Manny, and Jeter have turned out the best. The rest, with maybe an argument for Todd Helton, have been huge burdens with little consistent return. ARod and Manny had track records testament to potential legacy as two of the best hitters of this generation. Jeter was the new Mr. October. Soriano is, well, Mr. Strikeout. He's the guy shipped to Texas in return for ARod. He's a good player, to be sure, but is he more valuable than Derrek Lee, who (if my math is correct) is to receive just about $75 million over the next 5 or so years and plays Gold Glove defense at first base? My guess is that he's not.
Still, despite all the pros and cons flying about, you can say two things about this deal. First, Hendry is pissed about last year, and second, as a Red Sox fan, "Thank you," for making Matsuzaka look like a steal.
Labels: Commentary
Ryan Brodeur at 7:51 PM
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