Soriano injury

[E.J.]

Here should be the new lineup if Soriano is going to the DL:

 

Fukudome RF

Murton LF

Lee 1b

Aram 3b

DeRosa 2b

Soto C

Theriot SS

Pie CF

Pitcher

[Transmogrified Tiger]

There is no sliding scale that determines how long it takes a player to turn it around. Just because Pie looks awful doesn't mean it's going to take longer for him to get in gear than if he were popping up a bunch or rolling over everything. It's small adjustments that make that difference, it's not like Pie needs a bunch of work to become Juan Pierre and then a bunch more work after that to become worthwhile. And by the same token, it's the same result whether Pie is waving and missing or popping up a bunch or rolling over everything. Sometimes people need to remove the "argh he struck out and looked dumb" emotion from watching a player when evaluating him, because those outs count just as much as Mike Fontenot grounding out on a chopper to the first baseman.

[Andy]

Here should be the new lineup if Soriano is going to the DL:

 

Fukudome RF

Murton LF

Lee 1b

Aram 3b

DeRosa 2b

Soto C

Theriot SS

Pie CF

Pitcher

I would prefer Murton lead off, but I wouldn't be opposed to Fuku doing so either. Even DeRo would be ok, though the way he's hitting it might be best to leave him be. But so help me if it's Theriot...

[Roast]

Here should be the new lineup if Soriano is going to the DL:

 

Fukudome RF

Murton LF

Lee 1b

Aram 3b

DeRosa 2b

Soto C

Theriot SS

Pie CF

Pitcher

I would prefer Murton lead off, but I wouldn't be opposed to Fuku doing so either. Even DeRo would be ok, though the way he's hitting it might be best to leave him be. But so help me if it's Theriot...

You know it's going to be.

[SouthSideRyan]

Reed Johnson career vs. righties: .267/.328/.382

 

You just can't keep a bat like that out of the lineup.

[SouthSideRyan]

Here should be the new lineup if Soriano is going to the DL:

 

Fukudome RF

Murton LF

Lee 1b

Aram 3b

DeRosa 2b

Soto C

Theriot SS

Pie CF

Pitcher

 

I'd move DeRosa to 2, Soto to 5, Murton to 6.

[Dallas Green]

at least Soriano takes his job seriously enough to not play cute in the outfield on routine fly balls

 

It's not like he was doing kartwheels out there. It was a pretty innocent little bunny hop which he's probably been doing since the first day he was playing in the outfield. If he strained his calf on something like that it was bound to happen sooner or later.

 

What is more concerning isn't his bunny hops in the outfield but how is legs may be starting to break down (see hamstring last year) and what this means for this season and the 6 after.

 

This contract wasn't Zito dumb but it was awfully stupid.

Agreed. The guy for the most part has been healthy throughout his career, he signs a ridiculous contract and he's already breaking down. I hate that he's here.

 

 

Meh, even Hendry knows they overpayed and gave too many years, but it was the price at the time. The bidding began at 7 years. Hendry said today that he expected 5 more quality years out of him, it doesn't even compare to Zito. Zito is a colassal bust. Soriano batted .300 with 30 hrs last year with time missed. He won't live up to the contract but not too many FA do.

[Dallas Green]

Murton :flame:

[ChiCubsFan]

At least we have a solid major league capable LF ready to plug in there (Murton). Now I'm not saying this team will be better with Murton than they would be with Soriano, but they won't be much worse. Murton provides a more patient approach who doesn't have that many bad ABs. I wonder what the lineup will look like now. My guess:

 

SS Theriot

CF Johnson

1B Lee

3B Ramirez

RF Fukudome

2B DeRosa

C Soto

LF Murton

 

but I would go with something like (assuming I can't put in Cedeno over Theriot):

 

SS Theriot

RF Fukudome

1B Lee

3B Ramirez

2B DeRosa

LF Murton

C Soto

CF Pie

 

I would prefer Theriot not to leadoff, but I don't want a 7-8-9 of Theriot-Pie-Pitcher. That's almost an automatic 3 straight outs.

Edited April 16, 2008 by ChiCubsFan

[YearofDaCubs]

Here should be the new lineup if Soriano is going to the DL:

 

Fukudome RF

Murton LF

Lee 1b

Aram 3b

DeRosa 2b

Soto C

Theriot SS

Pie CF

Pitcher

Looks good to me

[SouthSideRyan]

Reed Johnson career vs. righties: .267/.328/.382

 

You just can't keep a bat like that out of the lineup.

 

Oh and this is Juan Pierre's line for us in '06: .292/.330/.388

 

We're kicking Pie to the curb against righties so that we can get a slower Juan Pierre into the lineup instead.

[Sammy Sofa]

Love the anti-logic of "helping" a player who is "overmatched" by benching him. What is he gonna learn through, osmosis? Magic?

[MADD_DOG_31]

and after watching tonites game, pie is officially an offensive black hole

 

Yep. He is so overmatched at the plate it's comical at times.

 

The question now is do you keep him with the big league team and give him a start every 10 games or so and let him be a late inning defensive replacement or send him down and let him work on shortening his swing?

 

I know, I know...he crushes AAA pitching and has nothing more to prove. Clearly he does have more to prove because nothing he did down there is translating here and now.

 

i know he's been bad. but can you really give up on him 2 weeks into the season? if he's struggling like this in june, then i'd look for some other solutions.

 

No one is giving up on him, but he has to EARN a job, it cant just be given to him....the best player has to play and he isnt the best yet

[inari]

Pie has started off slow at every level. If he doesn't get a chance to hit major league pitching, he's never going to be able to show that he can. It's worth it to wait, even if it costs us a win or two in the early going. It will net us more later on to have Pie adjusted and playing like he can.

[frostwyrm]

This is an injury you'd expect from Moises Alou. Little hop results in a muscle strain. Soriano's legs are looking shaky enough that it's not unlikely he'll need to move to 1B in the not too distant future. The hugeness of his contract makes it financially unnacceptable to let him break down if it can be avoided. Lee is a good trading chip and I can see him moved in this offseason or the next to open up 1B for Soriano.

[MADD_DOG_31]

I never said the games didn't count. I said that it's early and we're right in the thick of things - if he costs us a game or two it's not going to kill us. Especially in this division.

 

Giving up a few games to see if a guy can play....are you serious? We only won the division by 2 games last year and people were crying for him to play last year...in Lou's better judgement he went with Jacque and he was a big help in our division title

 

If Pie was hitting .250 and drawing a walk here and there he would be in there everyday, but he's not even close to that and right now in his career is a defensive replacement in the major leagues

 

Regardless of what he did last year in the minors, that is where he belongs if they want him playing everyday because he is not a everyday major leaguer yet

Edited April 16, 2008 by MADD_DOG_31

[MADD_DOG_31]

This is an injury you'd expect from Moises Alou. Little hop results in a muscle strain. Soriano's legs are looking shaky enough that it's not unlikely he'll need to move to 1B in the not too distant future. The hugeness of his contract makes it financially unnacceptable to let him break down if it can be avoided. Lee is a good trading chip and I can see him moved in this offseason or the next to open up 1B for Soriano.

 

Why would they trade their best player to make room for Soriano at 1B? That is NOT smart and is NOT going to happen

[SouthSideRyan]

Derrek Lee is so not getting traded in the offseason.

 

Felix had his chance, he started 5 games, banish him to hell.

[frostwyrm]

Derrek Lee is so not getting traded in the offseason.

 

No doubt it's a big move but it makes sense if Soriano keeps struggling to stay healthy in the OF. Soriano will have $112M and 6 years left on his contract after this season. You absolutely cannot let a player's body break down when you owe him that much money. We could get something pretty good for Lee, so it's not like Lee's production would just disappear if he were traded.

[Rob]

Derrek Lee is so not getting traded in the offseason.

 

No doubt it's a big move but it makes sense if Soriano keeps struggling to stay healthy in the OF. Soriano will have $112M and 6 years left on his contract after this season. You absolutely cannot let a player's body break down when you owe him that much money. We could get something pretty good for Lee, so it's not like Lee's production would just disappear if he were traded.

 

DLee's contract runs out after 2010 (his age 34 season). I expect that we let him walk and move Sori to 1B at that point for the remainder of his contract (which runs through 2014).

[RedFlash]

Derrek Lee is so not getting traded in the offseason.

 

No doubt it's a big move but it makes sense if Soriano keeps struggling to stay healthy in the OF. Soriano will have $112M and 6 years left on his contract after this season. You absolutely cannot let a player's body break down when you owe him that much money. We could get something pretty good for Lee, so it's not like Lee's production would just disappear if he were traded.

 

DLee's contract runs out after 2010 (his age 34 season). I expect that we let him walk and move Sori to 1B at that point for the remainder of his contract (which runs through 2014).

 

I'm hoping by 2010, the Angels might look to replace Gary Matthews, Jr bat in the OF, and take a chance on Soriano. I doubt it, but who knows.......

[BCVM22]

Didn't Soriano get injured about this time last year, come back and start tearing the cover off the ball? And then didn't he come back after the injury in August and have that monster September?

 

Clearly this was all orchestrated: Soriano knew he was struggling, so he injured himself with the knowledge that he'll come back and start killing the ball. I don't know how I didn't see it before. I mean, seriously, a guy injuring himself by hopping? Who would believe that?

 

:D

:|

:(

[Sweet Swinging Billy]

Depending on the extent of Sori's injury and what the Cubs do, Who do you think gets the majority of playing time. Anyone? Vance, what are your thoughts?

 

I think we do something stupid like bring up Eric Patterson and start Fontenot/Cedeno at a 2B platoon with DeRosa in LF every game. And I'm not even that opposed to Cedeno/DeRosa against lefties, just the absurd idea that me call up someone for their versa-effin-tility becuase Jim Hendry lives in fear of games where our first 5 2nd basemen all get hurt. Much better to have that 5th string 2nd basemen/6th string corner OF rather than a guy who's actually proven he can hit the ball at the major league level.

 

How adequate is Ward in LF? Could this mean a few more AB's for him? But I don't have a probablem with bringing up Murton.

[RedFlash]

I love how some people think that with a call of Murton, all but asured, with Soriano's injury, that they automatically assume Murton go right into LF. I hate to be the bearer or bad news, but I'm pretty sure Ward will get some starts in LF (against righties) along with Fontenot at 2B, and DeRosa at 2B and Reed Johnson in LF (against lefties). I know people want Murton in the lineup, if he's call up, but considering Theriot and Reed Johnson are the two CLOSEST things we have to a leadoff hitter (I didn't say they were legit leadoff hitters, simply closest to leadoff hitters the Cubs have), I don't see Murton getting at that much at-bats. Which would be a shame, to have Murton come to Chicago, just to ride the bench for 2 weeks.

[TakeMeOutToTheBallGame]

I agree. I would say Johnson will be playing LF when Pie is in the lineup. I could even see Lou going with Fontenot at 2nd and DeRosa in LF for a while.