The BBTF version of a hanging curve ball...

Alfonso Soriano is available?

they may also call Whitey Herzog

I bet they could get Alex Rodriguez for him.

The article merely cites "major league sources" so I think the report is false.

Clearly the Cubs aren't serious about competing. Hopefully Bud will nix any deal.

At this point, 'available' is accurate --

There's not really any pressing need to move him - he's got two years left, he was a perfectly cromulent part of the lineup last year, and he's not a Bradley/Zambrano clubhouse problem.

If Soriano plays out the next two years in Chicago, that's not the end of the world - they don't really have anyone blocked in LF and his contract isn't hamstringing them financially anymore.

So, yeah, I'd be 'open' to moving Soriano too -- of course -- but absolutely no interest in just moving him for another bad contract.

I wouldn't a legitimate prospect back, but a lottery ticket or cheap low upside reliever, etc is what it would take... so no thanks to the A-Rods, the Ugglas, etc

pass

His contract was never financially hamstringing them and moving him wouldn't have relieved the situation if his contract was a problem.

so no thanks to the A-Rods, the Ugglas, etc

Would you have taken Carl Crawford last year before it was revealed he needed TJ?

He'd be a major upgrade for the Mets.

IT'S A TRAP!

There have been rumors of Soriano's availability for quite some time, IIRC, but now that he is healthy again and playing reasonably well, it t shouldn't be that hard to move him if the Cubs really want to trade him. No big advantage in doing so either, but perhaps I'm underestimating Theo's talents.

"Bus" comps for Soriano:



Interesting how many multi-position players are on the list. To play that long as a good but not dominant hitter, you usually have to have a few extra things going for you: glove, arm, speed, versatility. Ron Gant is the most similar of all across the board to Soriano, which sounds about right.

Two HOFers among them: Collins, who is in the HOM as well for his glove and the HOF partly for his managing; and Kell, who was a really good player, but one of the weakest in the HOF; no shame in that.

Soriano is rather like Zito - in that he's too good to cut and no one will give you anything for a contract with net negative value (although according to fangraphs Soriano actually was breakeven in WAR/$). Zito is typically around -8/-9M year. But I guess with Zito you get health, and league average 4th/5th starters don't grown on trees.

The principal difference between the perception of those two contracts is the two world series championships. Those two rings are the reason that no one here says "Barry Zito is available".

Ron Gant is the most similar of all across the board to Soriano, which sounds about right.

Yeah, he's the only one who seems even the slightest bit similar :) I guess it's because Soriano had much less defensive value than most of them, yet was much faster than Kingman/Aramis/Ibanez.

He's 16th all-time in power/speed number!

Those two rings are the reason that no one here says "Barry Zito is available".

Nah, nobody here says that because Giants fans have no sense of humor.