Alfonso Soriano Rumors

Cubs Rumors: Ibanez, Abreu, Teahen

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times has a couple of new Cubs articles up, here and here. Manager Lou Piniella would prefer the Cubs acquire a middle of the order hitter over a leadoff man, if only one can be acquired. Piniella had kind words for possible free agent target Raul Ibanez. Piniella continued to dismiss the idea of the Cubs pursuing Jake Peavy (despite recent comments from Padres GM Kevin Towers). He'd like to give Mike Fontenot more playing time in 2009, which would help balance the lineup. In the spring the Cubs will see if Fontenot can chip...   Continue Reading

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Manny Ramirez Rumors: Sunday

As we await an offer from the Dodgers to Manny Ramirez, the notion is often floated that a six year contract for Manny is better suited for an American League team. There he can spend the latter half of his deal, presumably the final years of his career, transitioning to DH. Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune reports that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi confirmed that he has interest in Manny Ramirez. Rogers quotes Ricciardi: "I've always liked him," Ricciardi told the Toronto Sun. "But obviously getting him and liking him are two different things." We've heard this before here. Rogers...   Continue Reading

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Cubs Considering Manny?

From the speculative rumor mill, Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune suggests Manny Ramirez could be what the Cubs are missing, and the opportunity to bring him to Chicago could be there this offseason. Says Rogers, "With the aggressive nature of general manager Jim Hendry and the anything-to-win approach in the Lou Piniella era, don't rule this out—not if the Dodgers would take on a big contract or two from the Cubs... There's no way the Cubs can play two left fielders, so [Alfonso] Soriano would have to go for Ramirez to come. Soriano seems to be essentially an immovable...   Continue Reading

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Odds and Ends: Springer, Sheffield, Bonds

How about some weekend odds and ends? Free agent reliever Russ Springer intends to pitch next year, and he prefers the Cardinals. The Cards haven't discussed a contract with him, though, and they might prefer their younger (and cheaper) righthanded relievers. Dave Cameron thinks Nate Robertson might be a sleeper, based on his peripheral stats. Boof Bonser is another pitcher whose ERA didn't match up with his other numbers this year. Peter Woodfork apparently bowed out of the Mariners GM job competition after his interview. The Ms could decide between Tony LaCava, Jerry DiPoto, Kim Ng, and Jack Zduriencik by...   Continue Reading

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Thoughts On The Soriano Deal

Hi everyone, Tim here. I thought I would check in briefly on this little contract that the Cubs have extended to Mr. Soriano. I just can't resist. The wedding yesterday was perfect; we're jetting off to Cancun on Tuesday. I am a lucky man. The lovely Mrs. Dierkes is all tuckered out after the big weekend, so here are some random thoughts. From a Cubs fan point of view: I love the Alfonso Soriano signing. As fans often say to justify insane contracts: "It's not my money; I just want to win." I agree with that philosophy. The Yankees might..   Continue Reading

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Gotham Baseball: Rockies Want Milledge?

One oif the more interesting things I heard in this week's follow up calls after the GM Meetings was the Colorado Rockies' interest in Lastings Milledge. Though I keep hearing from those inside and outside of the team's inner circle that Milledge is still a player they expect to blossom in New York, I can't help but think that the Mets are focused on moving forward...without Lastings. Another very interesting tidbit was a rumor of the Tigers and Reds talking Adam Dun   Continue Reading

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Go nuts, folks

Alfonso Soriano. Eight years. $135 million. Chicago Cubs. Rosenthal has the scoop, though he doesn't explicitly say that the Cubs are going to give him that money, just that that's what he's after. As a Brewers fan, I'm thrilled that Hendry is blowing his wad on Sori. Could be a great Cubs offense for a couple of years, but that can't leave a whole lot to patch other holes. UPDATE: It's a little more official, and a little more expensive. By Jeff Sackman   Continue Reading

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Astros Offer Deals to Lee and Soriano

The Houston Chronicle reports that the Astros have offered multi-year deals to Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee. Houston has been viewed by many as the frontrunner for El Caballo, but I hadn't heard anything about their interest in Soriano. The article also notes that the Astros "are in serious discussions" with Woody Williams. I suppose if they aren't counting on getting Roger Clemens back for another year, they may feel the need to add a different 40 year old in the rotation. By Jeff Sackman   Continue Reading

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Phils Make Offer To Soriano?

According to Jim Street of MLB.com, the Phillies have made a five-year, $73MM offer to Alfonso Soriano. Unfortunately, Street was quoting a Philadelphia Daily News article from today that I could not find. Not sure what to make of it right now. Here is a link to the Phillies section of that newspaper. I've emailed Street in hopes of clarification. Regardless, I think it's safe to say that Sori will do better than that   Continue Reading

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Padres Interested In Soriano?

There's a link going around to NBC San Diego's website. I'm not sure exactly who authored this one, but here's the quote: "A source inside the Padres organization said the team feels very confident they'll sign Alfonso Soriano when the free agent signing period begins, NBC 7/39 reported." And why not? The Padres have what, $30MM to spend   Continue Reading

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Alfonso Soriano To Cards Rumor False

I've been getting a lot of emails about this rumor, which indicates that Alfonso Soriano has agreed in principle to a deal with the Cardinals for seven years and $77MM. MLB4U.com is a cool website and that's where this one started. However, the site allows users to post rumors and this is one such example. The link provided there does not go to a story about Soriano or even the correct newspaper. Plus, a quick gut check says that this one does not make sense. Soriano's agent was recently talking about a contract some $40MM higher than that amount. I..   Continue Reading

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Soriano Rejects 5/$70MM Offer From Nats

Here's a link to a Sportsline story quoting Listin Diaro, the oldest daily newspaper of the Dominican Republic. The news: Alfonso Soriano has rejected a five-year, $70MM offer from the Nationals. Here's the original article for those fluent in Spanish. It appears that the Listin Diaro article is quoting a Mexican radio station that interviewed assistant GM Jose Rijo. So the initial bar on Soriano has been set: he'll require more than $14MM annually. That's not going to end well. In fact, I'm not sure he'll be worth it in year 1. Soriano's rejection of the offer will at least..   Continue Reading

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Alfonso Soriano Stays Put

In the most surprising non-trade of the afternoon, the Nationals have retained Alfonso Soriano. Will the two sides be able to hammer out a long-term contract extension, or will the Nats just have to take a couple of draft picks for their left fielder? It'll be interesting to hear how the team spins this one. Right now it's hard to see how this was the right choice   Continue Reading

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Carroll On Twins' Last Minute Soriano Discussions

Via Will Carroll: "The Twins are in rapid-fire discussions with the Nationals regarding Alfonso Soriano. The offers center around pitching, with Matt Garza and Scott Baker the keys. The Twins offered Jason Kubel in the deal in lieu of Garza, but were rebuffed. I'm told that the Twins have informed Torii Hunter that he's being offered around; his option, if declined, would help "pay for" Soriano." We should know within minutes what Jim Bowden ultimately settles for with Soriano. My guess is that the Twins would rather stand pat than part with Garza. I think Kubel and Baker would be..   Continue Reading

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Stark: A's Making Run At Soriano

With three hours and change left to go, add Oakland to the list of teams interested in Alfonso Soriano. Jayson Stark's latest also indicates that the Twins are "all over the Soriano scene." Soriano doesn't work the count, but he adds slugging. The A's are last in the league with a woeful .393 SLG. Hasn't been any better in July, either - they're at .375 this month   Continue Reading

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Red Sox Trade Rumors

It's tough to get anything out of Boston these days; Theo Epstein has plugged all of his leaks. Let's see what we can piece together though. According to Sean McAdams of The Providence Journal: "Friends of the Rocket insist he's sorry that he chose the Astros over the Red Sox." McAdams mentions that Clemens would love a trade to Boston if it could be done without infuriating the Houston fanbase. Also, a source of mine tells me that the Mets have inquired about Clemens. Then there's the possible three-way trade with the Rockies and Padres. The Padres would get Mike..   Continue Reading

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Washington Post: Marlins In On Soriano

Less than fifteen hours to go, and things are getting crazy. Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post reports that the Marlins, yes, the Marlins, have made a bid for Alfonso Soriano. Apparently they have offered pitchers Yusmeiro Petit, Renyel Pinto, and Jason Vargas. That's not a bad bounty, though it lacks a future star type guy. I was surprised to discover this afternoon that the Marlins actually lead the NL in starter ERA. Scott Olsen's been lights out since June 1st, one of the best in baseball. Dontrelle Willis has been a touch above average. Josh Johnson and Ricky Nolasco..   Continue Reading

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Soriano Suitors Down To Two

Word from a source is that the teams still standing in the Alfonso Soriano sweepstakes are only the Astros and Angels. The White Sox, Tigers, and Twins appear to be out of the game, decreasing Jim Bowden's leverage. Would've been nice to play off the AL Central rivals against one another. Plenty of trade candidates have been connected to the Astros in recent days, including Roy Oswalt, Morgan Ensberg, Willy Taveras, Brad Lidge, and Adam Everett at the Major League level. L.A. seems to be dealing more in prospects, with Erick Aybar likely on the way out   Continue Reading

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Brent Clevlen Gets The Call

Is there any reason to call up a Double A outfielder who's hitting .224/.307/.350? Brent Clevlen joins the Tigers today, in the midst of his best month with the Erie SeaWolves (a .776 OPS in July). One possibility is that a trading partner wanted the kid showcased and the Tigers obliged. Entering this season, Clevlen was ranked Detroit's second-best position player behind Cameron Maybin. Clevlen is a 22 year-old right fielder with above average power potential, according to Baseball America. Back on July 17th, Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press mentioned that the Tigers could offer a package..   Continue Reading

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Soriano Removed From Tonight's Game

Looks like something could be cooking, as Alfonso Soriano was just removed for Robert Fick in the 5th inning of tonight's game. The realist in me says it could just be that the Nats want to protect their top commodity given that they have no chance to win tonight's game down 11-1   Continue Reading

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Trade Rumor Roundup: 6 Days Left

What's new in the world of trade rumors? It wasn't just Humberto Sanchez missing a start - Tigers prospect Jair Jurrjens is skipping two starts because of a stiff neck. While it certainly seems that recent trade winds could be at play here, it may just be a case of bad luck for Detroit. Both players can still be dealt despite the minor injuries. A few more nuggets concerning the White Sox's efforts to acquire Alfonso Soriano surfaced in newspapers today. Phil Rogers notes sources indicating that Scott Podsednik, and not Brian Anderson, would be part of a package for..   Continue Reading

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Soriano, Sanchez, Meche: Much Ado About Nothing

Seems that a couple of the more interesting rumors to come up today have proven to be nothing at all. The first was ESPN's rumor that Brandon McCarthy would be included in a Soriano to the White Sox deal, which was to be extremely close. It seems that the deal has fallen through at least in the short term, and Kenny Williams stated publicly that neither McCarthy nor Josh Fields will be traded. Still in the stockpile: Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, Jerry Owens, Sean Tracey, Lance Broadway, Casey Rogowski, and Charlie Haeger. It has also been noted that Humberto Sanchez..   Continue Reading

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ESPN: White Sox Alfonso Soriano Trade?

Breaking news from ESPN is that the White Sox are "extremely close" to acquiring Alfonso Soriano. It seems that Brandon McCarthy is the main piece of the deal. The result would be a Murderer's Row with five players currently slugging .539 or better: Thome (.632), Dye (.620), Soriano (.594), Konerko (.555), and Crede (.539). The Sox already lead baseball in home runs with 146. What's more, ESPN also reports that Kenny Williams is looking to strengthen his bullpen by sending 23 year-old southpaw Double A starter Tyler Lumsden to the Royals for Mike MacDougal. Lumsden isn't striking anyone out, but..   Continue Reading

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Trade Rumor Roundup: 7 Days Left

Here's the latest from around baseball... Dejan Kovacevic mentions that the A's are considering Sean Casey. Casey's doing his usual good batting average/low slugging thing and he's getting $8.5MM for it. The combined efforts of Dan Johnson and Nick Swisher have been inadequate at first, but would Casey really help? Johnson is hitting .485/.575/.848 in 33 Triple A at-bats; maybe he deserves another look. The Athletics, who are dead last in the AL in slugging, wouldn't be helped by adding the powerless Casey. They need Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, Pat Burrell, or even Raul Ibanez to make a difference. The..   Continue Reading

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Trade Rumor Roundup: 8 Days Left

To begin with, this just isn't true. With the Kearns deal and probably Soriano trade, the 2006 deadline just can't be classified as a dud. That honor belongs to 2005 for sure. The trading action never matches the buildup, but this year's still a good one. Read Ken Rosenthal's latest. The White Sox are in the Soriano game, the Rangers have interest in Luis Gonzalez, the Braves could add another reliever, Julio Lugo still might become a Blue Jay, and the Brewers look like sellers. In my opinion, some Brewers besides Carlos Lee that could be unloaded: Geoff Jenkins, Corey..   Continue Reading

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Trade Rumor Roundup: 11 Days Left

Let's see what we've got churning in the rumor mill this morning. Shea Hillenbrand, a player well-liked by his teammates, was designated for assignment last night. Kind of reminds me of the Jose Guillen situation a couple of years ago. Despite the unpleasantness, Bill Stoneman still managed to turn Guillen into Juan Rivera and Maicer Izturis. Let's see how J.P Ricciardi does now that manager John Gibbons has forced him into this situation. As we told you a couple of days ago, Gibbons may follow Hillenbrand out the door. More on this situation in a bit. A Reds message board..   Continue Reading

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Rumor Roundup

Here are some trade rumors from the last day or so that we haven't covered. All come from various newspapers or other published reports. Yesterday ESPN's Jayson Stark reported some Bobby Abreu interest coming from the Brewers. It was a longshot from the start given Abreu's contract. Today it's been revealed that Doug Melvin hasn't even spoken to Pat Gillick on the topic, and the rumor was placed by a rival GM. Any guesses who? Something seems to be brewing between the Yankees and Royals, and Reggie Sanders is the name that makes sense. The Royals would do well to..   Continue Reading

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Nats' Soriano Demands Revealed

According to Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free Press, the Nationals want three good prospects in return for Alfonso Soriano. As much as critics panned it, you have to admit that Jim Bowden is sitting pretty after his Wilkerson/Soriano deal. 23 year-old Tigers prospect Humberto Sanchez would apparently be the centerpiece of the deal. Sanchez dominated Double A for 11 starts this year before earning a promotion. Sanchez has been far more hittable in Triple A, and his strikeout rate slipped quite a bit. Still, it was an aggressive promotion. Sanchez's stuff is described as "a shade behind Verlander's..   Continue Reading

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Angels Trade Rumors: Alfonso Soriano and More

I spoke to my Angels source recently, and he had all sorts of good info about the team. A recent hot surge has landed the Halos just two games out in the AL West. Because of this, GM Bill Stoneman is upping his demands and won't cave in and send any of his future stars to the Nationals for Alfonso Soriano. The Angels are pleased with 28 year-old Juan Rivera and think he's developing into a big bat in his own right. Rivera is hitting .277/.337/.505 on the season and has had a blistering July. Baseball Prospectus considers him most..   Continue Reading

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Latest Mets/Soriano Rumor

A source of mine reports some info concerning the Mets' interest in Alfonso Soriano: The Mets do want Soriano, but they'll only make a deal if the Nats will accept Kaz Matsui. The Nats would use Matsui at shortstop and would also receive Victor Diaz. Matsui will be out until mid-April with a sprained knee ligament. He last played shortstop in 2004, appearing in 110 games there. This morning, Soriano plans to announce whether he's willing to play left field for the Nationals. The fact that he's even considering it leads me to believe that he will play out there...   Continue Reading

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Cards Sour On Anthony Reyes?

The fine Cardinals blog Viva El Birdos pieces together the latest info about hotshot pitching prospect Anthony Reyes. Sidney Ponson has won the fifth starter competition, and Reyes will be optioned to Memphis soon. Furthermore, Larry gets the impression that the organization is not committed to Reyes and is priming things for a trade. Even with a less than stellar spring, Reyes's stock is high coming off a 3.64 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in Triple A last year. He's a 24 year-old Major League-ready starting pitcher with #2 starter potential within a year or two. How many of those are..   Continue Reading

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Soriano for Griffey Deal In The Works?

It's always fun to find trade rumors in Spanish newspapers. El Nuevo Dia's latest discusses an Alfonso Soriano for Ken Griffey Jr. trade that is cooking up. The following is a rough translation (hat tip to Mariloren on the translation!): The Reds and Nationals have been negotiating the Soriano for Griffey trade over the last few days. Soriano refused comment when approached by the newspaper. Details are the proposed transaction are still unknown. If traded to the Nationals, Griffey would be reunited with former Reds GM Jim Bowden. My own commentary: I think the Reds would be the winners in..   Continue Reading

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Cubs Still Looking At Soriano?

An emailer tells me that AM 670 The Score in Chicago reported yesterday that the Cubs are looking at Alfonso Soriano again. They're hoping that Brian Dopirak or Brandon Sing put up big numbers in Spring Training to boost their trade value. There's nothing on Score reporter George Ofman's blog to this effect yet. Currently, Dopirak is 5 for 9 with two home runs this spring. Sing is 4 for 7 with two homers. Logically, the trade rumor makes some sense for the Nationals. Nick Johnson is an impending free agent, so it'd be nice to have some depth at..   Continue Reading

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Unfounded Soriano Mets Rumor

Alright, here's a new one. I can't really verify the source, but it still seems ripe for discussion. Word is that the Mets could send Xavier Nady, John Maine, and Jeff Keppinger to the Nationals for Alfonso Soriano, Bill Bray, and Jason Bergmann. Let's discuss. Could the Mets do without Nady? Absolutely. Wright doesn't need much time off, and Franco can spell Delgado. I'm of the opinion that Victor Diaz does not need a platoon partner in right field. Nady would be more useful for Washington. He could handle right field for three months while Jose Guillen is out, and..   Continue Reading

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Alfonso Soriano Trade Possibilities

Ken Rosenthal's latest article mentions that a trade of Alfonso Soriano could happen, but Nationals are more likely to offer Soriano a long-term deal to convince him to become an outfielder. I don't doubt Rosenthal, but let's take a look at some possible suitors for the second baseman. I'll assume that a trade signifies no position change. First off, let's narrow the field by looking at which teams lack an established 2B. Blue Jays - Looks like Aaron Hill is the man at second base for 2006, and he's a fairly solid hitter already. Plus, Soriano probably isn't Ricciardi's type..   Continue Reading

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Phil Rogers On Burnitz

Some interesting items for Cubs fans in Phil Rogers's column today. Rogers calls the Cubs' decision not to exercise Jeromy Burnitz's $7MM option a gaffe. He points out that Jacque Jones is basically Burnitz's equal in right field. That's true, even when you take fielding into account. In my opinion, letting Burnitz go was a smart move. However, signing Jones for three years is a poor way to solve fill the vacancy. At least, that's been my stance on this site. But after perusing the right fielder rankings from 2005, I had to ask myself: what alternative would I have..   Continue Reading

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Buzz Around The Game

Let's see what we've got going on today in a potpourri-style format. As predicted, Eric Byrnes was non-tendered last night. I can't possibly think of a better way for the Cubs to turn the Jacque Jones signing into a positive. If you sum up Byrnes and Jones' salaries, you'll be getting solid stats from RF for the price. Assuming Dusty Baker understands what a platoon is and how all that works. Of course, it's probably one more roster spot than the Cubs wanted to use on this type of thing since they already have John Mabry. But Mabry can back..   Continue Reading

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Alfonso Soriano's Washington Projection

Some have suggested that RFK Stadium will kill Alfonso Soriano's fantasy value. Find out if that's true by reading my Alfonso Soriano Washington Nationals 2006 Projection over at RotoAuthority. Another website to check out today is Cub Town. Derek Smart writes intelligent posts about the Cubs with a healthy dose of stats mixed in. Highly recommended   Continue Reading

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Nationals Snag Soriano, Will Remain At 2B

ESPN is reporting that Jim Bowden picked up Alfonso Soriano for the Nationals and sent Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge over to the Rangers. The trade is a pretty fair one by my off-the-cuff analysis. I'll probably have some player projections on RotoAuthority tomorrow, given that players are moving from an extreme pitchers' park to a home run haven. Once extra piece of information that we've managed to acquire contradicts a statement in the ESPN report. According to ESPN: "With Jose Vidro already entrenched at second base, it's believed that the Nationals would move Soriano to left field." My source..   Continue Reading

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Soriano, Benson, Casey Deals Close

Wow, I stepped out for a couple of hours and a billion trades/rumors occurred. Here's three, with more in-depth analysis to come tomorrow. Peter Gammons is saying the Dodgers are close to acquiring Alfonso Soriano for Jonathan Broxton. I suppose Soriano could take over at third base; he's yet to play a Major League game in the outfield. Broxton would fit well in either the starting rotation or the 'pen. The hefty right-hander split time between the roles at Double A Jacksonville in 2005. One of Broxton's specialties (besides the palmball) is limiting the home run, a trait that will..   Continue Reading

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Soriano To The Mets: Update

We have an update on the Alfonso Soriano to the Mets rumor posted earlier today. MLBTradeRumors.com has learned that the Milledge and Trachsel for Soriano deal was proposed prior to the acquisition of Carlos Delgado. Now that Delgado has been acquired, the Mets will turn their focus to Billy Wagner and Ramon Hernandez. Soriano is considered nonessential to the Mets at this point, and any trade for him would not include Lastings Milledge. The Rangers have a stronger need for pitching and that will be the focus of any Soriano deal   Continue Reading

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Soriano for Milledge and Trachsel Proposed

We have some new details from my Mets source concerning a possible trade of Alfonso Soriano to the Mets. The latest report is that the Mets would send Lastings Milledge and Steve Trachsel to the Rangers for Soriano. The deal would be contingent on Soriano signing a long-term extension to play second base (not outfield). The 35 year-old Trachsel would be a decent, affordable addition to the back-end of the Texas rotation. Jon Daniels may express concerns about Trachsel's performance away from Shea Stadium in his last full season (2004). That year, Trachsel posted a 5.65 ERA with 16 HR..   Continue Reading

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