Cubs sign Soriano

[Jazz]

I was just thinking and Soriano right now reminds me a lot of Sosa prior to 1998. Look at the stats they were very similar players.

 

I'm gonna find career averages for the both of them and post when i find them...for sosa prior to 1998.

 

In that case, lets get this boy on some HGH.

 

WOO UNPROVEN ACCUSATIONS FOR EVERYONE!

 

I can't find the actual career stats for Sosa prior to 1998 but go look for yourselves. Both players had their breakout years at the age of 30. Both were raw speed and power type players earlier in their careers. Both in their first big years began to walk a bit more. Soriano 67 walks and 16 IBB and Sosa 78 BB and 14 IBB.

 

Sosa had way more power, and OBP though, in his breakout year.

 

But if you want to be really optimistic, you could probably make a case where if last year is how Soriano will be in his prime, than he would get a boost in power just from hitting in wrigley for half his games, as well as some better runs scored numbered hitting in front of Lee and Ramirez. The peak for Soriano might be 50HRs, 130 Runs scored.

[CubbieSouthpaw]

What the crap...he's gonna be 38 putting up terrible numbers making 17 milllion.

 

Terrible signing

 

8 years is a long time. But it also might be a steal by that time.

I like the signing.

Everyone says he's a good clubhouse guy so for those who think in line of team chemistry he works. I'm glad the Cubs have him.

[Guest]

he is signed officially btw. someone should change the thread title.

[cubweiser03]

I was just thinking and Soriano right now reminds me a lot of Sosa prior to 1998. Look at the stats they were very similar players.

 

I'm gonna find career averages for the both of them and post when i find them...for sosa prior to 1998.

 

Hmm...Sosa was 30 in 1998, Soriano 30 now. Both had high K rates and low BB rates until their power numbers increased and teams started pitching around them. Very interesting case study.

 

To boot Sosa got a huge contract before his breakout. At the time people thought the Cubs were nuts, i sure did and i liked Sammy then. That contract turned out great, it was the last one that sucked in the final 2 years.

[Kingmanarama]

What the crap...he's gonna be 38 putting up terrible numbers making 17 milllion.

 

Terrible signing

 

8 years is a long time. But it also might be a steal by that time.

I like the signing.

Everyone says he's a good clubhouse guy so for those who think in line of team chemistry he works. I'm glad the Cubs have him.

 

If the Trib's going to sell the team, they'd be smart to make this a back-loaded deal. Meaning that Soriano could make, say, $14M next season and $20M when he's 38. Stick the next ownership group with the bill, so to speak.

[UMFan83]

Sosa before 1998:

 

4021 AB

1035 H

162 2B

33 3B

207 HR

642 RBI

277 BB

1027 K

 

.257/.309/.469/.778

 

Soriano before this season:

 

3902 AB

1091 H

240 2B

18 3B

208 HR

560 RBI

224 BB

836 K

 

.280/.325/.510/.835

[WrigleyField 22]

I like that Soriano/Sosa comparison. Starting at their first full major league season (age 25 for Soriano and age 24 for Sosa)

.268 .304 .432 vs .261 .309 .485

.300 .332 .547 vs .300 .339 .545

.290 .338 .525 vs .268 .340 .500

.280 .324 .484 vs .273 .323 .564

.268 .309 .512 vs .251 .300 .480

AND THEN

.277 .351 .560 vs .308 .377 .647

The next 8 years for Sosa went like

.288 .367 .635

.320 .406 .634

.328 .437 .737

.288 .399 .594

.279 .358 .553

.253 .332 .517

.221 .295 .376

OUT OF BASEBALL

-If that contract has an opt out at 6 years, we could still have a 800 OPS player the last year.

Now Soriano doesn't have to improve like Sosa did, but he could stay the same.

Edited November 21, 2006 by WrigleyField 22

[VanceJergins]

Sosa before 1998:

 

4021 AB

1035 H

162 2B

33 3B

207 HR

642 RBI

277 BB

1027 K

 

.257/.309/.469/.778

 

Soriano before this season:

 

3902 AB

1091 H

240 2B

18 3B

208 HR

560 RBI

224 BB

836 K

 

.280/.325/.510/.835

 

So how long before we smear him and trade him for Hairston?

[C.C.]

Kap and Waddle just said about a week or two ago Soriano sat down with his family and had the choice of six teams which had interest in him and Cubs were dead last on his list. He wasn't sold on the Cubs. Hendry called his agent and said promise me I'll at least get a chance to talk to him. Hendry had a meeting with him that lastest 3 hours and Hendry sold Soriano on coming to Chicago.

[Guest]

dream weaver . . . ah well, doesn't hurt to be optimistic does it?

[WrigleyField 22]

Kap and Waddle just said about a week or two ago Soriano sat down with his family and had the choice of six teams which had interest in him and Cubs were dead last on his list. He wasn't sold on the Cubs. Hendry called his agent and said promise me I'll at least get a chance to talk to him. Hendry had a meeting with him that lastest 3 hours and Hendry sold Soriano on coming to Chicago.

 

8 years 138 Million would sell me too.

[David]

Let's hope that Gerald Perry has a similar effect on Sori to the one Pentland had on Sammy.

 

Steroids or not, Sammy made a definite change to his stance, swing, and approach in 98.

[jmajew]

Let's hope that Gerald Perry has a similar effect on Sori to the one Pentland had on Sammy.

 

Steroids or not, Sammy made a definite change to his stance, swing, and approach in 98.

 

Do we know if Soriano made any changes to his approach last year?

[UMFan83]

Let's hope that Gerald Perry has a similar effect on Sori to the one Pentland had on Sammy.

 

Steroids or not, Sammy made a definite change to his stance, swing, and approach in 98.

 

Do we know if Soriano made any changes to his approach last year?

 

Yeah...he changed his approach to "I want to make a crapload of money, I better start slugging"

[WrigleyField 22]

I'm very optimistic of the effect Perry might have on Soriano. If we still had Dusty/Clines/Sarge this would absolutely, without a doubt, every day of the week a twice on sundays, be a terrible deal.

[EastonBlues22]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

[VanceJergins]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

 

Similar early career stats, breakout seasons at the same age.

[UMFan83]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

 

Similar early career stats, breakout seasons at the same age.

 

At a similar point in their careers, both low walk, high K, lots of power, just got huge contracts, Both once skinny Domincans...

[David]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

 

Similar early career stats, breakout seasons at the same age.

 

Similar "tools?" Similar backgrounds..

[CP_414]

Kap and Waddle just said about a week or two ago Soriano sat down with his family and had the choice of six teams which had interest in him and Cubs were dead last on his list. He wasn't sold on the Cubs. Hendry called his agent and said promise me I'll at least get a chance to talk to him. Hendry had a meeting with him that lastest 3 hours and Hendry sold Soriano on coming to Chicago.

 

I hope they made him promises of huge payrolls beyond the boatloads of money they game him. Adding Schmidt and a back of the rotation pitcher (Lilly, Igawa, Westbrook) would have me ready to buy World Series tickets.

[WrigleyField 22]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

 

Similar early career stats, breakout seasons at the same age.

 

Similar "tools?" Similar backgrounds..

 

Lets just give him a 21 jersey with Sosa slapped on the back and no one will even know the difference. It will be like 2004-2006 never happened.

 

Fans will just know their RF is coming off a 911 OPS season and we almost made the world series. Red Sox, White Sox, Cardinals never won the world series. Wood and Prior and healthy and in the rotation... Pull up Pie wearing number 20 and replace "ie" with "atterson"

 

BRILLIANT :D

Edited November 21, 2006 by WrigleyField 22

[Omar]

Has he had an official press conference yet? With the jersey & all?

[Butterscup1679666578]

Has he had an official press conference yet? With the jersey & all?

 

I think that's set for next week.

[EastonBlues22]

I'm sorry...what's the basis for comparing Soriano's career path to that of Sosa again?

 

Similar early career stats, breakout seasons at the same age.

So...nothing concrete.

 

Soriano's most similar batters through age 30 are:

Howard Johnson, Tony Bautista, Matt Williams, Bob Horner, Jeff Kent, Danny Tartabull, Geoff Jenkins, Ken Boyer, Joe Gordon, and Raul Mondesi.

 

Soriano's most similar batters by age are:

Tim Tueffel, Marcus Giles, Chase Utley, Marcus Giles, Joe Gordon, Howard Johnson.

 

There's some pretty good players on those lists...but nobody that appears on any of the lists associated with Sammy Sosa. In addition, there's not a single HOF on the lists for Soriano...while HOFers appear nine times on the lists for Sosa.

 

It's possible that Soriano's had some sort of batting evolution...but I wouldn't be getting my hopes up if I was a Cubs fan.

[Laura]

Kap and Waddle just said about a week or two ago Soriano sat down with his family and had the choice of six teams which had interest in him and Cubs were dead last on his list. He wasn't sold on the Cubs. Hendry called his agent and said promise me I'll at least get a chance to talk to him. Hendry had a meeting with him that lastest 3 hours and Hendry sold Soriano on coming to Chicago.

 

Kaplan also quoted unnamed agents as saying that Hendry's presentation was the best he'd ever seen and that Hendry's rep among players (past and present) helped seal the deal.

 

Lou was active in this recruiting process and also met with Soriano separately.

 

I hope they made him promises of huge payrolls beyond the boatloads of money they game him. Adding Schmidt and a back of the rotation pitcher (Lilly, Igawa, Westbrook) would have me ready to buy World Series tickets.

 

Hendry says he'll be pursuing pitching. As I posted earlier, there's some speculation that they wanted to sign Soriano early to boost credibility and improve there chances with potential FAs, such as Schmidt.