Soriano to the Cubs?

[doublee]

It is being reported that the Cubs and Soriano have agreed to an 8-year 136 million dollar deal.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2668465

It is also being reported that the Cubs intend on hitting him lead off and play him in CF. Putting him in CF could be a mistake for the Cubs as Soriano was fairly brutal in left last year and CF takes far more defensive acumen than left field does.

[da12ken]

I wouldn't say Soriano is brutal in left. At worst he's Raul Ibanez with a stronger arm. CF would be a serious mistake. $136 million is a mistake too, as is 8 years.

[doublee]

Well, the only LFer who made more errors than him last year was Adam Dunn. Soriano had 11 errors last year which is brutal for a left fielder. Consider that Juan Pierre did not commit an error last year and the Cubs are looking at a serious downgrade defensively at that position.

Your right though I don't know that I would have given him that type of contract either. He is not a particularly clutch hitter, over the past three years he has hit just .261 with a .425 slugging in close/late situations, hit .240 with runners in scoring position, and .194 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs. His postseason record is nothing special and he has hit just .214 in the month of September over the past three seasons. In a nutshell he impresses me as a guy who puts up good numbers but has never emerged as the superstar guy who can take a team over the hump like a lot of folks like to make him out to be.

[catman]

The Cubs also have Mark DeRosa who could play CF for them, moving Soriano back to 2B. His fielding at 2B was never stellar, but it was adequate, considering his offense. He'd be a work in progress in CF, IMO, and I don't think the Cubs should be willing have him learn on the job.

[dirtywhiteboy]

Christmas comes early for me.

Cubs.com says the announcement will be Monday. I am thrilled. His defense is suspect, yes, but the runs he will produce will overshadow the errors. The money, and length are a bit large, but I am happy to see some power, and speed. The corner outfield didn't produce last season. Jones was decent, but Murton, and company just didn't fit the bill. As far as second base goes (as stated in an earlier post), I don't want to see that happen.

My next wish is to see Gary Matthews Jr. in CF on opening day...

[da12ken]

Does the Tribune Co. keep a leash on the team's salary? It's one thing if Chicago has the freedom to spend whatever it wants for players (a la the Yankees). It's another thing if the Cubs work on a self-imposed salary cap and give a significant chunk of it to Soriano.

Seattle, for instance, has a management-imposed cap at around $90 million. I wouldn't have minded bringing Alfonso to the Northwest, but not at the cost of almost 20% of the allotted salary invested in this particular player.

[dirtywhiteboy]

I have no idea. I would imagine that every team has a figure that they won't exceed. Rumor has it that the Cubs will be for sale in the near future. The Tribune Company will not suffer a loss on Soriano's contract. They will get it back with the sale of the team, if that's what happens. Keep in mind, even without a sale of the team, that Chicago is a large market team. Also the Cubs are near the top nationally in merchandising. They have a few more bucks to work with. I don't want to see them go the way of the Yankees, but I'm also sick of losing seasons.

[Hoosier Daddy]

What do ya' know, another Michiana man and a Cubs fan! With their salary already 7th higest in MLB, I'd say the Cubbies may very well be on their way to Yankee payroll status.


Tim.

[catman]

One guy that has been left out of the discussion is Felix Pie. He is a CF that has been in the Cubs' farm system and is one of their best prospects. He can run and throw very well. He is a lead-off hitter that has a bit of pop in his bat. He plays very well defensively. It is time to give him a shot. Soriano can play either 2B or LF, moving Murton to right.

[da12ken]

One guy that has been left out of the discussion is Felix Pie. He is a CF that has been in the Cubs' farm system and is one of their best prospects. He can run and throw very well. He is a lead-off hitter that has a bit of pop in his bat. He plays very well defensively. It is time to give him a shot.

Maybe the Cubbies are a little frightened to bring him along so quickly after the Corey Patterson Experiment.

[doublee]

From what I understand the Cubs are up for sale and the Tribune does keep a leash on what the team spends so that it does not adversely affect the overall bottom line of the parent company. The Braves are in the same boat as the Cubs which is why they rarely dole out huge contracts and cling to their prospects the way they do.

From what I understand all of the merchandise revenue goes into the league's revenue sharing so how many hats and jerseys they sell does little to directly affect their bottom line. If I am not mistaken the only monies that do not get shared is the local TV revenue which is where the Yankees cash in royally.

The problem with Soriano is he strikes out too much and really does not drive in enough runs to put him in a vital spot in the lineup other than leadoff.

As for Pie he is only 21 and my guess is the Cubs may want to see him develop a bit more plate discipline before calling him up. He did strike out 126 times and only drew 46 walks at AAA last year.