2011 Preseason "Expert" evaluation thread

[Exile on Waveland]

Baseless Soriano hate on NSBB is definitely a sign baseball season is back. :clapping:

It's not baseless, and I don't irrationally hate Soriano. I just don't think he's going to be very good this year, based on a number of factors. I readily admit I could be wrong.

 

I really hope he does great though, even if it means I have to see him do that John Cena thing 40 times this year.

 

Nor is it baseless. Pretending he's anything but an aged, once pretty good slugger who's a terrible defensive outfielder is baseless.

 

That ground has already been covered.

[davearm2]

I wonder if he had a really, really dismal season if he'd just retire. I guess he'd have to be pretty bad. *sigh* a man can dream. I just don't envision any scenario in which Soriano is worth what he's being paid, or even close to it for that matter. He's going to cost us so much defensively it'll offset any value he has on the offensive side. He looked worse than ever in left during spring training, he might as well be walking to the ball.

I think just like any of these monster contracts, the team hopes the player fulfills expectations for the first 4-6 years, and isn't a complete disaster the last 2-3 years, even knowing that by that point he'll be overpaid.

 

Well the Cubs could be entering into that twilight phase with Soriano, where overpaid is a given.

[Exile on Waveland]

I don't think this has been covered anywhere, but did anyone read -- and I'm sure many have -- Sports Illustrated's Cubs preview? The "view from a scout" section or whatever was basically the ravings of a crazy person (and evidently a Cub-hating crazy person). Besides every single view being negative, it included gems like "Soto has no pop" (seriously).

[erik316wttn]

I don't think this has been covered anywhere, but did anyone read -- and I'm sure many have -- Sports Illustrated's Cubs preview? The "view from a scout" section or whatever was basically the ravings of a crazy person (and evidently a Cub-hating crazy person). Besides every single view being negative, it included gems like "Soto has no pop" (seriously).

 

Also near the back of the issue they had a "What if" piece of fiction work that has the Cubs winning Game 6 with the whole Bartman thing never happening. It ended with Kenny Lofton getting struck by lightning right before catching the World Series clinching out in Game 7.

[hawkeyecub]

I don't think this has been covered anywhere, but did anyone read -- and I'm sure many have -- Sports Illustrated's Cubs preview? The "view from a scout" section or whatever was basically the ravings of a crazy person (and evidently a Cub-hating crazy person). Besides every single view being negative, it included gems like "Soto has no pop" (seriously).

 

Yeah I was thinking the same. He said Pena isn't the player the Cubs think he is because he's a low .200's hitter and when the wind blows in that will negate his power. Because the wind never blows out. He then went out on a limb and said that Soriano will never be a 30-30 guy again.

He also said that Soto will never have a season like he had as a rookie, doesn't have much pop and is a .270 hitter at best. Really? He concluded by saying Castro won't be the perennial All-Star some think he'll be.