Soriano as CF

[rawaction]

It absolutely makes sense. Soriano has said he wants one position and to be left there. Putting him in CF now and moving him to RF when Pie arrives is silly. Making him learn two new positions is not best for Soriano or the team's defense.

 

Maybe it's not best for Soriano or the team's defense, but it would almost certainly be best for the team.

 

Even if Soriano is a subpar defensive CF, his value is maximized with his offense coming from that position. He's hardly guaranteed to be an above-average right fielder... offensively or defensively. At least this way we'd be sure to be getting at least one positive from him.

 

Then maybe we can find a platoon partner for Jones in right and be set.

 

Ward? Might make for a brutal defensive OF though.

 

The only one who shouldnt want Soriano in CF is Pie.

 

Ohh duh. I forgot about Ward. He'd be a much better platoon option with Jones than Theriot if he is going to be playing RF.

 

Ward's a LH hitter, like Jones.

[nilodnayr]

It absolutely makes sense. Soriano has said he wants one position and to be left there. Putting him in CF now and moving him to RF when Pie arrives is silly. Making him learn two new positions is not best for Soriano or the team's defense.

 

Maybe it's not best for Soriano or the team's defense, but it would almost certainly be best for the team.

 

Even if Soriano is a subpar defensive CF, his value is maximized with his offense coming from that position. He's hardly guaranteed to be an above-average right fielder... offensively or defensively. At least this way we'd be sure to be getting at least one positive from him.

 

Then maybe we can find a platoon partner for Jones in right and be set.

 

Ward? Might make for a brutal defensive OF though.

 

The only one who shouldnt want Soriano in CF is Pie.

 

Ohh duh. I forgot about Ward. He'd be a much better platoon option with Jones than Theriot if he is going to be playing RF.

 

Ward's a LH hitter, like Jones.

 

Ahh right, so thats why I forgot about Ward :)

[BigbadB]

Imagine that. A CF that hits lead off. :D

 

It is not in Hendry's best interest to keep CF open for the possibility that Pie may be ready sometime in 2007. He needs to win now.

 

It's too bad Soriano can't play SS, because that would have been the ideal spot for him. If Pie is ready, bring him up at the start of '07. If not, Jones plays CF and Floyd and Murton play the corners.

 

Soriano

Murton

Lee

Ramirez

Floyd

DeRosa

Jones

Barrett

 

That would be a really good line up.

[Guest]

As long as we're spending money like a fat, rich kid in a candy store, I still say we should move Soriano to 2B, let DeRosa be supersub and sign Drew for CF. :D

[Soul]

I still think it's just going to be Murt--Pie--Soriano.

 

We'll see what Pie can do. At some point this minor league system has to start producing a positional player or two.

[Backtobanks]

Soriano in CF would probably cost him a few bucks in incentives since he probably wouldn't make the All-Star team with Beltran and Andruw Jones as competition.

[CP_414]

Soriano in CF would probably cost him a few bucks in incentives since he probably wouldn't make the All-Star team with Beltran and Andruw Jones as competition.

 

All-Stars in the outfield are not picked by position. They just vote for 3 outfielders, so it could just as easily be 3 centerfielders.

[RichHillIsABeast]

We're eventually going to have Soriano, Murton, and Pie in the OF.

 

The best defensive alignment with those 3 players is Murton in LF, Pie in CF, and Soriano in RF.

 

It's pretty silly to give away runs with Soriano in CF and Pie in RF just so we don't have to pick up a placeholder like Erstad or whomever.

 

Just stick Jones/Theriot in CF until Pie comes up. It won't be long.

[BigbadB]

As long as we're spending money like a fat, rich kid in a candy store, I still say we should move Soriano to 2B, let DeRosa be supersub and sign Drew for CF. :D

 

Sign me up.

[Amazing_Grace]

If Soriano does become the everyday CF, he'll probably not be moving positions (per comments from Lou and Hendry) so he will definitely block Pie. Pie's value as a corner OF, much like Soriano's, is somewhat lower. In my mind, if the Cubs do go this direction, it makes sense to trade Pie (probably not now, but rather at midseason) to fill some other need. Right now, SS stands out as the most glaring need for an upgrade, but there's also backup catcher, possibly closer, and possibly another starter, depending on what happens during the first half of the season. Pie would be the Cubs most valuable trading commodity this season if Soriano is in center.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

If Soriano does become the everyday CF, he'll probably not be moving positions (per comments from Lou and Hendry) so he will definitely block Pie. Pie's value as a corner OF, much like Soriano's, is somewhat lower. In my mind, if the Cubs do go this direction, it makes sense to trade Pie (probably not now, but rather at midseason) to fill some other need. Right now, SS stands out as the most glaring need for an upgrade, but there's also backup catcher, possibly closer, and possibly another starter, depending on what happens during the first half of the season. Pie would be the Cubs most valuable trading commodity this season if Soriano is in center.

 

If the Cubs view Pie and Soriano both as long-term options, does it really matter which one plays which position? Defensively maybe, but you seem to be putting it in the context that Pie's value is lowered by going to RF, which undoubtedly refers to his offense.

[frostwyrm]

Moving Pie to a corner OF slot would certainly hurt his trade value. Now if the Cubs are sure they want to hang onto him longterm then it wouldn't matter so much.

[Amazing_Grace]

If the Cubs view Pie and Soriano both as long-term options, does it really matter which one plays which position? Defensively maybe, but you seem to be putting it in the context that Pie's value is lowered by going to RF, which undoubtedly refers to his offense.

 

Well, it's the same situation. It's fairly easy to find decent offensive corner OF in MLB. It's certainly much harder to find decent offensive CF. It just makes very little sense to me to move Pie to right so Soriano can play there just so we won't have to sign Erstad or Finley to a 1 year deal. If Cubs management is dead set that Pie is going to play mid 2007 or 2008 at the latest, they should get some kind of stop-gap that doesn't block him and quit fiddling with the Soriano in CF business. Pie's value is maximized in CF whether he plays for the Cubs or whether he gets traded. If the Cubs are thinking about the future payroll and worried about being unable to afford a FA RF, then they should just sign or trade for a stopgap CF and wait til Pie is ready and Lou is ready to play him.

[Rob]

There is absolutely no good reason Soriano shouldn't be in CF until Pie is ready, at which point he should slide over to RF.

 

Hendry created this problem himself.

[CuseCubFan69]

If Soriano does work out in CF maybe the Cubs could work out a deal for Cabrera? Jones + Cubs pay salary, Pie and 3 or 4 top prospects.

[nilodnayr]

Moving Pie to a corner OF slot would certainly hurt his trade value.

 

Ehh probably not as much as you'd think...Crawford and Rios seem to be in pretty high demand. People don't seem to have a problem projecting them to play CF even though they are playing the corners right now.

[Amazing_Grace]

There is absolutely no good reason Soriano shouldn't be in CF until Pie is ready, at which point he should slide over to RF.

 

Hendry created this problem himself.

 

I'll definitely agree with that. Hendry and Lou have bent over backwards to say they won't ask Alfonso to move positions, so they created this dilemma. Shame on Jim for not planning what to do about CF earlier this offseason.

[C.C.]

If the Cubs view Pie and Soriano both as long-term options, does it really matter which one plays which position? Defensively maybe, but you seem to be putting it in the context that Pie's value is lowered by going to RF, which undoubtedly refers to his offense.

 

Well, it's the same situation. It's fairly easy to find decent offensive corner OF in MLB. It's certainly much harder to find decent offensive CF. It just makes very little sense to me to move Pie to right so Soriano can play there just so we won't have to sign Erstad or Finley to a 1 year deal. If Cubs management is dead set that Pie is going to play mid 2007 or 2008 at the latest, they should get some kind of stop-gap that doesn't block him and quit fiddling with the Soriano in CF business. Pie's value is maximized in CF whether he plays for the Cubs or whether he gets traded. If the Cubs are thinking about the future payroll and worried about being unable to afford a FA RF, then they should just sign or trade for a stopgap CF and wait til Pie is ready and Lou is ready to play him.

 

Hendry said during the Cubs Convention that they will not block Pie. When he's ready he's coming up.

[CubColtPacer]

There is absolutely no good reason Soriano shouldn't be in CF until Pie is ready, at which point he should slide over to RF.

 

Hendry created this problem himself.

 

Other then of course that originally Soriano insisted on not being moved from position to position as a condition of his signing? It's the same thing as the leadoff spot-it may be an evil (although the leadoff spot thing is still debated on if it's an evil or not) but it's an ok concession to make. Now that Soriano says that he is willing to play CF, it makes it even better.

[Amazing_Grace]

Hendry said during the Cubs Convention that they will not block Pie. When he's ready he's coming up.

 

He also has said that Alfonso won't be asked to shift positions during his Cubs career. The only way for both to be true is for one to play RF and one to play CF. Which way makes more sense to you?

[Guest]

Hendry said during the Cubs Convention that they will not block Pie. When he's ready he's coming up.

 

He also has said that Alfonso won't be asked to shift positions during his Cubs career. The only way for both to be true is for one to play RF and one to play CF. Which way makes more sense to you?

Was it during his cubs career or during any given season? I thought the statement made was a bit ambiguous about that at the time.

[wastra]

Hendry said during the Cubs Convention that they will not block Pie. When he's ready he's coming up.

 

He also has said that Alfonso won't be asked to shift positions during his Cubs career. The only way for both to be true is for one to play RF and one to play CF. Which way makes more sense to you?

 

They said Soriano volunteered for CF, so I think there's a difference between saying they want toask him to move all over the diamond and him volunteering it for the good of the team. If he WANTS to move, they won't deny him the chance, I'm sure.

[Wheelimus]

And I highly doubt they'd let him switch if he also said "just so we're clear, i expect to play Center Field for my entire Cub career."

 

I'm sure he just doesn't want to get jerked around during a given year, and it's not like a move from Center to Right is going to be such a big deal, not like moving from the infield to the outfield.

[Amazing_Grace]

Hendry said during the Cubs Convention that they will not block Pie. When he's ready he's coming up.

 

He also has said that Alfonso won't be asked to shift positions during his Cubs career. The only way for both to be true is for one to play RF and one to play CF. Which way makes more sense to you?

Was it during his cubs career or during any given season? I thought the statement made was a bit ambiguous about that at the time.

 

They did seem a bit vague. If Soriano is willing to play CF for half a season or a full season then move it would be best for the Cubs, but the comments made it seem like he didn't want to be jerked from position to position like he was in Washington. If he's not willing to move positions, then we should just put him in RF and sign someone to play CF for a year (or trade for A. Jones maybe).

Edited January 23, 2007 by Amazing_Grace

[CubinNY]

Soriano has a strong enough arm to play CF, he just hasn't played it before (that I know of). In Wrigley CF may be slightly easier than either right or left feild. I am hoping he takes a lot of fungo during ST.