Cubs sign Soriano

[Mephistopheles]

BTW - If I had unlimited funds this offseason, I'd sign Drew for CF, trade for Manny, put Murton in RF and stick Fonzie at 2B. Defense be damned. Smile

 

if i had unlimited funds id take on manny, play him at first. trade lee for rodriguez. put rodriguez at ss. sign durham, sign drew. sign soriano. sign matsuzaka. sign schmidt.

[Andy]

Instead of reading about 70 pages I'm going to step out on a limb and say the reaction was negative.

 

Negative = Me, KC, Jon, TT, Navin, CubsinNY, Rob (might have missed a few)

 

Positive= Everyone else

Oversimplifying. There are people in the middle, as well.

 

Besides that I really doubt someone trying to catch up cares whos on what side and moreso what each view is, not to mention details.

Considering CT said he believed the reaction was negative I think it's fair to say he was curious who agreed with what.

[E.J.]

Murray Chass / The New York Times[/url]"]News reports in recent weeks have indicated that the Tribune Company may sell its newspapers and its baseball team, and a deal the Cubs have concluded with a free agent lends credence to that likelihood. If Tribune were going to hold onto the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs would not be signing Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year contract for $136 million.

 

Dusty Baker, Piniella’s predecessor, may very well ask why the Cubs didn’t spend that kind of money during his four years as their manager. But spending that kind of money has never been the Tribune Company’s style, nor the style of Andy MacPhail, whose resignation as the Cubs’ president and chief executive is effective today.

 

The timing of MacPhail’s departure and Soriano’s signing might be coincidental, but it’s hard to believe that MacPhail would have authorized the amount of money or number of years. It seems that someone in the Cubs’ hierarchy has given Hendry the green light to offer uncharacteristically large sums of money, knowing that the Tribune Company won’t be paying the bills for much longer.

 

There was talk yesterday that the Cubs may use Soriano, who will turn 31 in January, in center field as a replacement for Juan Pierre, also a free agent. But some baseball executives were incredulous at that prospect.

 

They also questioned the size of the package the Cubs gave Soriano, saying it was far too much for a leadoff hitter. That kind of money, they suggested, should be saved for a middle-of-the-lineup hitter, a run producer like Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez.

 

No problem. Cuban can afford it. :D

 

Edited November 20, 2006 by E.J.

[nilodnayr]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

Who said Soriano is not a good player? I must have missed that.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

That's ok. I'm sure we've all gotten a good laugh out of some of your posts from time to time as well.

[baseball7897]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

How in the blue hell are you supposed to say what you think of a player without going off of stats?

 

It's pretty easy.

[rawaction]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

You ask how is he overrated then you state that he's not worth the money? Simply put, he is getting paid like an elite player. He is not.

 

Edited to remove "stats".

Edited November 20, 2006 by rawaction

[Careless]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

Who said Soriano is not a good player? I must have missed that.

Barrett is good, let's give him that 7/$100 contract that was suggested earlier

[Mephistopheles]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

Who said Soriano is not a good player? I must have missed that.

 

I agree. Of course Soriano is a huge upgrade, but it's something we could have done a different way for a cheaper price.

 

 

So my reaction would be "Love having him, but I hate the money and know it could have been used much better so I hate the deal."

[Andy]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

How in the blue hell are you supposed to say what you think of a player without going off of stats?

 

It's pretty easy.

Oh, it's really easy to state a non-stat opinion. It's just very difficult to make a very reasoned argument without them.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Murray Chass / The New York Times[/url]"]News reports in recent weeks have indicated that the Tribune Company may sell its newspapers and its baseball team, and a deal the Cubs have concluded with a free agent lends credence to that likelihood. If Tribune were going to hold onto the Chicago Cubs, the Cubs would not be signing Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year contract for $136 million.

 

Dusty Baker, Piniella’s predecessor, may very well ask why the Cubs didn’t spend that kind of money during his four years as their manager. But spending that kind of money has never been the Tribune Company’s style, nor the style of Andy MacPhail, whose resignation as the Cubs’ president and chief executive is effective today.

 

The timing of MacPhail’s departure and Soriano’s signing might be coincidental, but it’s hard to believe that MacPhail would have authorized the amount of money or number of years. It seems that someone in the Cubs’ hierarchy has given Hendry the green light to offer uncharacteristically large sums of money, knowing that the Tribune Company won’t be paying the bills for much longer.

 

There was talk yesterday that the Cubs may use Soriano, who will turn 31 in January, in center field as a replacement for Juan Pierre, also a free agent. But some baseball executives were incredulous at that prospect.

 

They also questioned the size of the package the Cubs gave Soriano, saying it was far too much for a leadoff hitter. That kind of money, they suggested, should be saved for a middle-of-the-lineup hitter, a run producer like Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez.

 

Sounds to me like predictable whining and sour grapes from the East Coast Media Elite that a team not based in New York or Boston actually snagged the premier free agent of the offseason. Aw shucks, does that throw a kink in the Boston/NY rivalry or something? Excuse us while we all weep for you and your teams' $150MM payrolls.

 

And get used to it, there's a new sheriff in town and he wears blue pinstripes. Photoshop expert insert picture here. :-)

[CoolHandLuke]

Murray Chass / The New York Times[/url]"]

They also questioned the size of the package the Cubs gave Soriano, saying it was far too much for a leadoff hitter. That kind of money, they suggested, should be saved for a middle-of-the-lineup hitter, a run producer like Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez.

 

I hate baseball conventional wisdom.

[abuck1220]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

Edited November 20, 2006 by abuck1220

[Soriano12]

But spending that kind of money has never been the Tribune Company’s style, nor the style of Andy MacPhail, whose resignation as the Cubs’ president and chief executive is effective today.

 

The timing of MacPhail’s departure and Soriano’s signing might be coincidental, but it’s hard to believe that MacPhail would have authorized the amount of money or number of years.

 

 

If this is true regarding MacPhail, he is a downright SOB in my book.

[VanceJergins]

So here is what we are (pretty) sure of so far:

 

1B: Lee

2B: DeRosa

3B: Ramirez

LF: Murton

RF: Soriano

C: Barrett

 

Zambrano

Hill

Miller/Prior (if healthy)

 

Question Marks:

 

1.) SS: I think we are still after Lugo and the CF talk is to not show we're trying to trade Izturis....?wishful thinking?

2.) CF: I'm convinced Jones is as good as gone.

3.) 2 SP: Cotts may be one, several other names mentioned

 

If the budget is 115m, then we have around 15m left. I think we'll go past that. I think we have a good core so far but need a few more pieces. What does everything think our next move will be or should be?

[Monco]

For years we have watched Chicago teams be afraid to overspend. We've watched the Marlins buy a series,the Yankees,Red Sox etc. But not us. We wanted Furcal....but at the "fair" price.If they want to overspend on Soriano,DeRosa etc.. Fine. Go for it! Open up the checkbook,set the market,bring us a winner!

[Guest]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

Pujols has an MVP.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Tim

[CoolHandLuke]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

So you agree that he is overrated?

[Mephistopheles]

Phil Rizzuto has an MVP too. And is in the Hall of Fame. Does that make him good? No.

[Careless]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

Pujols has an MVP.

that's a stat. (1)

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Phil Rizzuto has an MVP too. And is in the Hall of Fame. Does that make him good? No.

 

Rirruto?

[Guest]

Phil Rizzuto has an MVP too. And is in the Hall of Fame. Does that make him good? No.

Sarcasm, KC, sarcasm.

[Drew Doughty]

I have been laughing so hard reading these posts. Soriano not a good player? Soriano overrated?

 

he is a good player, but he's also overrated. he's being paid like one of the best players in baseball, and he clearly isn't.

 

How is he overrated? Please no stats involved. Your opinion.

 

And I agree with you that he doesn't deserve to get a $136 million dollar contract. But I will never consider him to be overrated.

 

i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

Pujols has an MVP.

 

Couldn't that be considered a stat?

 

(following stats may or not be real, I don't care)

HR: 47

RsBI: 129

MVP: 1

 

Sorry Tim, Jones > Pujols

[abuck1220]

 

i think jacque jones is better than albert pujols. prove me wrong...oh, and please no stats involved.

Pujols has an MVP.

 

mmm...i think that's technically a stat.

 

but anyway, kevin mitchell (who also has an mvp) is better than pujols.

Edited November 20, 2006 by abuck1220

[ctcf]

Instead of reading about 70 pages I'm going to step out on a limb and say the reaction was negative.

 

Negative = Me, KC, Jon, TT, Navin, CubsinNY, Rob (might have missed a few)

 

Positive= Everyone else

 

You're missing a category. There are people who are still unsure, and want to wait to hear the official numbers of the deal. Put me in that category.

I see.

 

Personally I rather like the move. While I'm not terribly excited about 8 years (but then again, who is?), I am very happy to have him here. As far as the deal I see Hendry as partially stuck in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If he doesn't sign anyone big people will call him stupid for not trying and if he does pay an insane deal that todays STUPID baseball market demands, people say hes wasting money.