Soriano

[apete6]

Just to think that $136 million could already be contributed to the AROD contract makes me sick.

 

Also, Soriano has a full no trade, so even if we wanted to trade him to the Orioles for a bag of balls and a few Sosa jersey t-shirts, we couldn't even get out of the salary albatross.

[anabiono]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

[NewUserName]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

 

 

If making the playoffs is the goal than it was a good signing.

[anabiono]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

 

 

If making the playoffs is the goal than it was a good signing.

 

i mean if we get arod great, if not, don't blame hendry or soriano for screwing things up...it just wasn't meant to be

[UMFan83]

I hated the Soriano signing from day 1, but if the Cubs weren't going to sign Soriano, they were going to throw their money elsewhere. Where would you have wanted them to throw it? Zito? Schmidt? Drew? The only player I'd argue is Carlos Lee. There was no way that Hendry was going to wait the season out and try to sign ARod this offseason...mostly because he wouldn't be around to sign ARod.

[Keener98]

I hated the Soriano signing from day 1, but if the Cubs weren't going to sign Soriano, they were going to throw their money elsewhere. Where would you have wanted them to throw it? Zito? Schmidt? Drew? The only player I'd argue is Carlos Lee. There was no way that Hendry was going to wait the season out and try to sign ARod this offseason...mostly because he wouldn't be around to sign ARod.

 

I wonder what our team would have been like had they signed Carlos Lee instead of Soriano. I know it would have made for a fearsome 3-4-5, but say you put Lee in our lineup, and insert Theriot at leadoff all year how much difference would it have made?

[BigbadB]

I hated the Soriano signing from day 1, but if the Cubs weren't going to sign Soriano, they were going to throw their money elsewhere. Where would you have wanted them to throw it? Zito? Schmidt? Drew? The only player I'd argue is Carlos Lee. There was no way that Hendry was going to wait the season out and try to sign ARod this offseason...mostly because he wouldn't be around to sign ARod.

 

I wonder what our team would have been like had they signed Carlos Lee instead of Soriano. I know it would have made for a fearsome 3-4-5, but say you put Lee in our lineup, and insert Theriot at leadoff all year how much difference would it have made?

 

I think the likelihood of Izturis staying on the Cubs all year increases if you didn't have Soriano leading off.

[Keener98]

I hated the Soriano signing from day 1, but if the Cubs weren't going to sign Soriano, they were going to throw their money elsewhere. Where would you have wanted them to throw it? Zito? Schmidt? Drew? The only player I'd argue is Carlos Lee. There was no way that Hendry was going to wait the season out and try to sign ARod this offseason...mostly because he wouldn't be around to sign ARod.

 

I wonder what our team would have been like had they signed Carlos Lee instead of Soriano. I know it would have made for a fearsome 3-4-5, but say you put Lee in our lineup, and insert Theriot at leadoff all year how much difference would it have made?

 

I think the likelihood of Izturis staying on the Cubs all year increases if you didn't have Soriano leading off.

 

In years past Id agree, but I dont think Lou would have stuck with him. I think if we had signed Lee instead of Soriano, Kenny lofton would have probably been our CF the 2nd half of the year.

[jersey cubs fan]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

 

 

If making the playoffs is the goal than it was a good signing.

 

i mean if we get arod great, if not, don't blame hendry or soriano for screwing things up...it just wasn't meant to be

 

It wasn't meant to be? That sounds like a convenient excuse for any Hendry mistake.

[Lefty]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

[apete6]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

 

Much worse than Sosa's. We only had to eat 1 year of Sosa's contract. Even his "bad" 2004, he gave us 35HR and 80RBI, both higher than Soriano's totals this year. Granted, Soriano had a much better overall impact on the team this year than Sosa did in 2004, but that was also his 1st year of an 8 year deal, not the 3rd of a 4 year deal.

 

Bottom line is that Hendry should never have been give the OK for Soriano's contract. He did what was best for him, but the man in charge let him do what wasn't best for the organization. That's what you get when you have a marketing guy in charge of baseball operations.

 

I honestly think Soriano's contract will be one of the top 5 worst contracts in the history of sports, along with the Mike Hampton, Chan Ho Park, Darren Dreifort, and Vin Baker (basketball). Carlos Lee got a bad contract, but you know what you're getting with CLee, and that includes 100 RBI until he officially eats himself out of baseball.

[jersey cubs fan]

I did not like the contract, and I don't like Soriano as a player. But he's not the same risk as a pitcher, and I don't think he'll compare to a fat alcoholic basketball player. I think Soriano has shown that he's going to give it his all. I expect him to be in great shape throughout the deal, even if he is putting up a .270/.320/.490 type line at the end of the deal.

 

Whether or not this is truly an albatross depends on whether or not he stays healthy enough to play, and what they do with the ret of the team. I believe any competent owner can draw enough revenue to provide the proper level of payroll in order to win with Soriano on board. No, he's not ideal, and can be a problem. But it doesn't have to be a franchise killer as long as they operate smartly over the next 7 years.

[YearofDaCubs]

Soriano is the type of player that is really frustrating to watch and this year was no different. I hated the contract so much. In hindsight signing Carlos Lee would have improved the team more IMO.

[NewUserName]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

 

Bingo. GMs should never be judge on a year to year bases. They should be judged on how well the team has performed over a period of time and how are the positioned to do in the future.

 

Giving Hendry a lot of money this off season and while only having a year left on his contract probably was not a wise move from Upper management. Truth be told if I had the available funds that Hendry had this off season I probably could have signed Soriano. I dont think anyone is talking about hiring me as GM.

[CubColtPacer]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

 

Bingo. GMs should never be judge on a year to year bases. They should be judged on how well the team has performed over a period of time and how are the positioned to do in the future.

 

Giving Hendry a lot of money this off season and while only having a year left on his contract probably was not a wise move from Upper management. Truth be told if I had the available funds that Hendry had this off season I probably could have signed Soriano. I dont think anyone is talking about hiring me as GM.

 

1) Hendry had 2 years left on his deal, not 1.

 

2) This is exactly what upper management wanted. The last thing that the Tribune wanted before selling the team was to have another sub 75 win team, and they were willing to do anything (including hurting the future) to drive up the sale price. It's as much upper management's fault as Hendry's for telling him to make a splash no matter how much money it took.

[NewUserName]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

 

Bingo. GMs should never be judge on a year to year bases. They should be judged on how well the team has performed over a period of time and how are the positioned to do in the future.

 

Giving Hendry a lot of money this off season and while only having a year left on his contract probably was not a wise move from Upper management. Truth be told if I had the available funds that Hendry had this off season I probably could have signed Soriano. I dont think anyone is talking about hiring me as GM.

 

1) Hendry had 2 years left on his deal, not 1.

 

2) This is exactly what upper management wanted. The last thing that the Tribune wanted before selling the team was to have another sub 75 win team, and they were willing to do anything (including hurting the future) to drive up the sale price. It's as much upper management's fault as Hendry's for telling him to make a splash no matter how much money it took.

 

 

I did say it was unwise move by upper management.

[CubColtPacer]

Hendry needed to make the playoffs this year to keep his job. Thus his interests and the franchise's long-term interests were not in harmony. The Soriano contract will hang over this team even worse than Sosa's.

 

Bingo. GMs should never be judge on a year to year bases. They should be judged on how well the team has performed over a period of time and how are the positioned to do in the future.

 

Giving Hendry a lot of money this off season and while only having a year left on his contract probably was not a wise move from Upper management. Truth be told if I had the available funds that Hendry had this off season I probably could have signed Soriano. I dont think anyone is talking about hiring me as GM.

 

1) Hendry had 2 years left on his deal, not 1.

 

2) This is exactly what upper management wanted. The last thing that the Tribune wanted before selling the team was to have another sub 75 win team, and they were willing to do anything (including hurting the future) to drive up the sale price. It's as much upper management's fault as Hendry's for telling him to make a splash no matter how much money it took.

 

 

I did say it was unwise move by upper management.

 

Agreed. I just read your statement as the biggest reason that there was a lot of money thrown around was because Hendry was just trying to save his job, when it was more likely that the money was thrown around because of the ownership change.

Sure, Hendry appreciated all the money, but with the way he tended to spend money before (even when he only had a year left on his deal in the winter of 2005, rather than the 2 left in the winter of 2006) it seems unlikely that he would go on a complete spending spree to save his job without a directive from above that they needed to spend and buy as much talent as possible.

[anabiono]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

 

 

If making the playoffs is the goal than it was a good signing.

 

i mean if we get arod great, if not, don't blame hendry or soriano for screwing things up...it just wasn't meant to be

 

It wasn't meant to be? That sounds like a convenient excuse for any Hendry mistake.

 

well, quite honestly, the last time i checked no one on this board goes by the name of Jim Hendry...therefore, we do not have the influence he possesses when it comes to our favorite baseball team...

 

meaning, soriano's contract was meant to be in terms of our realm of being, and anything that comes afterwards will be meant to be as well...

 

want to change it? fine...go take the GM job instead of Hendry...i would be on my way to trying right now, but i am still in school

[CoolHandLuke]

I hated the Soriano signing from day 1, but if the Cubs weren't going to sign Soriano, they were going to throw their money elsewhere. Where would you have wanted them to throw it? Zito? Schmidt? Drew? The only player I'd argue is Carlos Lee. There was no way that Hendry was going to wait the season out and try to sign ARod this offseason...mostly because he wouldn't be around to sign ARod.

 

I wonder what our team would have been like had they signed Carlos Lee instead of Soriano. I know it would have made for a fearsome 3-4-5, but say you put Lee in our lineup, and insert Theriot at leadoff all year how much difference would it have made?

 

Theriot spent much of the year batting second so really moving from second to first is no overall difference. The difference would be that a guy like DeRosa would probably have hit second a lot more, and that would be better for the team.

[minnesotacubsfan]

blah...we don't make the playoffs without soriano

 

 

If making the playoffs is the goal than it was a good signing.

 

i mean if we get arod great, if not, don't blame hendry or soriano for screwing things up...it just wasn't meant to be

 

It wasn't meant to be? That sounds like a convenient excuse for any Hendry mistake.

 

well, quite honestly, the last time i checked no one on this board goes by the name of Jim Hendry...therefore, we do not have the influence he possesses when it comes to our favorite baseball team...

 

meaning, soriano's contract was meant to be in terms of our realm of being, and anything that comes afterwards will be meant to be as well...

 

want to change it? fine...go take the GM job instead of Hendry...i would be on my way to trying right now, but i am still in school

 

i TRIED BUT HENDRY TRIED TO EAT ME

[davearm]

Soriano is the type of player that is really frustrating to watch and this year was no different. I hated the contract so much. In hindsight signing Carlos Lee would have improved the team more IMO.

According to BR, Carlos Lee had a VORP of 42.5 this year.

 

Soriano was at 42.1.

 

So the offense each guy provided was basically a wash.

 

Soriano's defense was vastly better than Lee's -- Rate2 of 116 vs. 93.

 

Combining both offense and defense, Soriano was good for 8.9 WARP, while Lee was at 6.8, for a difference of two wins.

 

Interestingly enough, the Cubs happened to win the division by two games.

 

So I'd say the Lee envy and Soriano bashing is just a little bit misguided.