Is it possible to trade Soriano?

[RynoRules]

Realistically, can we trade him? Which teams might be interested (all AL I am assuming) and how much of the 70-plus million remaining on his deal would we have to eat? I assume we'd get B to C level prospects in return.

 

Here's a list of teams I think might be interested:

 

- White Sox (Konerko coming off the books and leaving a hole in the middle of the order? Or is Prince Fielder the target?)

- Angels (Serious lack of pop and he is actually younger than most of the guys they are relying on - Abreu, Matsui, and Hunter).

- A's (The only OF'er with an OPS-plus over 100 was Coco Crisp, and he did that in a shade over 300 AB's).

Edited October 8, 2010 by RynoRules

[jersey cubs fan]

If you eat all or most, probably. But there's no point to that.

 

He's a marginally above average player who is turning 35 this offseason and he's signed through his age 38 season. If the Cubs picked up the tab I'm sure some team would like to see if they could get a year or two out of him and then feel free to release him if he continues his 2009/2010 level of play. And maybe they'd give up something marginal for that opportunity. But the Cubs are kind of loaded with marginal prospects. What they don't have are true blue chippers. I'm not sure there's much point in making the deal. Maybe just hold onto him and hope for one last resurgent season, then release him later when he's below replacement level.

[Sammy Sofa]

I don't understand the desire to move him and pay basically his entire salary. Why not just bench him if he sucks? It's the same end result since, let's face it, the Cubs aren't getting anything of value back for him.

[NewUserName]

I don't understand the desire to move him and pay basically his entire salary. Why not just bench him if he sucks? It's the same end result since, let's face it, the Cubs aren't getting anything of value back for him.

 

true and he doesnt completely suck. Sad to say but I dont see the Cubs becoming a better team by trading Soriano

[UMFan83]

I just can't believe we signed Soriano to an 8 year bizillion dollar deal and it looks like we're only going to get 2 quality seasons out of him.

[SouthSideRyan]

Why would another team release Soriano if he played at his 2010 level?

[jersey cubs fan]

Why would another team release Soriano if he played at his 2010 level?

 

I said 2009/2010. Over that period I believe he's been almost exactly replacement level. Aside from early 2010, he's been pretty bad. If he's traded, and bounces back a little, they'd probably hold onto him until he plummets. If all he does is hug the replacement level, they might not bother holding onto him beyond 2011/2012 and would be comfortable releasing somebody they owe nothing to.

[Jazz]

The only way I see it happening that we trade him and not end up paying even over half the remaining money owed is if you package him with another player or two that is valuable enough to deal with all of that money, and get back zilch in return. Unless soriano were to bounce back HUGE this year, All-Star numbers, no injuries etc.. and our team is playing at the level of last years than I dont see Soriano going anywhere unfortunately.

 

I'm not really worried about all this though, our payroll cap should rise soon enough hopefully, and having an albatross contract for the next 4 years shouldn't kill our playoff chances that much if our younger players can continue to develop.

[NewUserName]

I just can't believe we signed Soriano to an 8 year bizillion dollar deal and it looks like we're only going to get 2 quality seasons out of him.

 

I can. What I cannot believe is the same people who were jumping for joy when the contract was signed are now some of the most vocal haters of Soriano.

[Outshined_One]

I think the best the Cubs can hope for with Soriano is that he posts a strong enough 2011 season that some team would be willing to take him on from 2012-2014 in the following offseason. Another healthy season with production like 2007/2008 would go a long, long way. The Cubs could be able to trade Soriano if they eat a decent chunk of the (guh) $54m owed to Soriano over that stretch and take a bad contract back in return.

 

However, the words "sunk cost" start coming to mind with Soriano.

[Productive Outs]

Why would another team release Soriano if he played at his 2010 level?

 

I said 2009/2010. Over that period I believe he's been almost exactly replacement level. Aside from early 2010, he's been pretty bad. If he's traded, and bounces back a little, they'd probably hold onto him until he plummets. If all he does is hug the replacement level, they might not bother holding onto him beyond 2011/2012 and would be comfortable releasing somebody they owe nothing to.

 

.353 wOBA and a 2.9 WAR in 2010 are not replacement level numbers. however, he was pretty terrible in 2009.

[davell]

We've got money coming off the books over the next couple of seasons, which COULD technically allow us to release him, or trade him and pay his entire salary. But, why would we do that? He's not a bad baseball player, he's just overpaid. If he was on the open market right now, my guess is he'd get a 3 year 30 million dollar deal, or something close to that. I think he'll be the same player he was this year for each of the next 2 seasons anyway. If by 2013, he's a shell of what he is now, then I guess releasing him and eating the money or trading him for someone else's garbage is a possibility. But, trading him right now makes us worse, because we're going to lose him and not have any flexability to replace him.

[SouthSideRyan]

Why would another team release Soriano if he played at his 2010 level?

 

I said 2009/2010. Over that period I believe he's been almost exactly replacement level. Aside from early 2010, he's been pretty bad. If he's traded, and bounces back a little, they'd probably hold onto him until he plummets. If all he does is hug the replacement level, they might not bother holding onto him beyond 2011/2012 and would be comfortable releasing somebody they owe nothing to.

 

.353 wOBA and a 2.9 WAR in 2010 are not replacement level numbers. however, he was pretty terrible in 2009.

 

He was pretty injured in 2009.

[Productive Outs]

Why would another team release Soriano if he played at his 2010 level?

 

I said 2009/2010. Over that period I believe he's been almost exactly replacement level. Aside from early 2010, he's been pretty bad. If he's traded, and bounces back a little, they'd probably hold onto him until he plummets. If all he does is hug the replacement level, they might not bother holding onto him beyond 2011/2012 and would be comfortable releasing somebody they owe nothing to.

 

.353 wOBA and a 2.9 WAR in 2010 are not replacement level numbers. however, he was pretty terrible in 2009.

 

He was pretty injured in 2009.

 

very true. i wasn't trying to vilify Soriano.

[SouthSideRyan]

I know, I was building on your post

[jersey cubs fan]

I saw 1.4 WAR this year.

 

And I'm not sure how many times I have to repeat this but overall in 2009/2010 he was barely over replacement level.

[SouthSideRyan]

I saw 1.4 WAR this year.

 

And I'm not sure how many times I have to repeat this but overall in 2009/2010 he was barely over replacement level.

 

Why are you lumping an injured and healthy season together?

[jersey cubs fan]

I saw 1.4 WAR this year.

 

And I'm not sure how many times I have to repeat this but overall in 2009/2010 he was barely over replacement level.

 

Why are you lumping an injured and healthy season together?

 

Because I don't excuse the entirety of his crappy 2009 to injury. He was healthy enough to play. He showed over the 2nd half of 2010 he's quite capable of sucking big time for extended periods of time. He's in his mid 30's and health issues are part of what he is, to ignore play that occurs when injured is to ignore what he is.

[mookie]

Honestly, I didn't want much Cubs baseball this season. Did Soriano ever hit one of his patented hot streaks?

[jersey cubs fan]

Honestly, I didn't want much Cubs baseball this season. Did Soriano ever hit one of his patented hot streaks?

 

Yeah, he got pretty hot for a while in May. It looked like he may be back to 2008 form but then from June - September he had a sub-780 OPS every month.

[Guest]

Honestly, I didn't want much Cubs baseball this season. Did Soriano ever hit one of his patented hot streaks?

 

Yeah, he got pretty hot for a while in May. It looked like he may be back to 2008 form but then from June - September he had a sub-780 OPS every month.

He had one really good month and that's it. WAR isn't very useful for looking at peaks and valleys.

[Sammy Sofa]

Two.

[TruffleShuffle]

so one or two really good months don't count if you suck the rest of them apparently?

 

WAR is really good at taking a guy's numbers and looking at them over the entire course of a season so that we don't completely throw out two really good months because they were followed by four months of mediocrity.

[Guest]

so one or two really good months don't count if you suck the rest of them apparently?

 

WAR is really good at taking a guy's numbers and looking at them over the entire course of a season so that we don't completely throw out two really good months because they were followed by four months of mediocrity.

No they count, but a season is not one or two really good months. I suppose you could look at it this way, for about six non-continuous weeks he was above replacement level performance, but for the vast majority of the year he was below, at, or near replacement level performance.

[SouthSideRyan]

That seems like a really stupid way to look at production.