On this day in 2006, the Cubs signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136MM deal. In five seasons with Chicago, Soriano has a slash line of .266/.320/.498 and has averaged 129 games per year. Here are some links for Sunday afternoon..
- Mark Townsend of Yahoo! Sports is surprised at what teams are paying for sure-handed middle infielders. Specifically, he says the Twins and Dodgers paid role players like final pieces to the puzzle and are counting on them for too much (referring to Jamey Carroll and Mark Ellis, respectively).
- Eric Young Jr. decided to play in Venezuela this offseason in order to gain more experience playing second base, writes Rafael Rojas Cremonesi for the Denver Post. Young played second base just seven times for the Rockies last season, and is 6-for-20 with three steals in his first six games.
- Luke Scott would be open to negotiating a new deal with the Orioles if he's non-tendered, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Scott is projected to earn $6MM in arbitration.
- Bobby Valentine expects to meet with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington on Monday and could emerge as the favorite for the job if his meeting goes well, a source tells Jeff Passan of Yahoo (via Twitter).
- Astros owner Jim Crane is prepared to make a swift decision on the futures of president Tal Smith and GM Ed Wade, writes Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle.
- There are team executives who are furious with aspects of the new labor agreement, writes ESPN.com's Buster Olney. Some believe that MLB's new draft structure hurts the league's small-market and mid-market clubs. One GM told Olney that the changes don't solve any problems and actually make some worse.
Valentine is a much better choice than Sveum would have been. Hope they hire Bobby
I agree Valentine would be better than Sveum but I’m not convinced he’s the best overall. I still think Alomar is the best manager for the Sox… however I’m willing to give Valentine or whoever the Sox hire a chance.
The thing i don’t get is why the media is freaking out over losing Sveum when they themselves were complaining about him just a couple days before.
You should never read Red Sox media, none of it ever makes sense. They “reward” long time tenured/much loved/genuinely nice players by turning on them and making the fans hate them, once -they- feel like they have given the team all they have got. Biggest bunch of nonsense media market in baseball.
What happened to Dave Martinez? He seemed a favourite early on but then never even got an interview.
Reporters talked him up like crazy, but as far as I could tell, Boston never actually showed any interest.
Agree – saw Sveum’s press conference Friday – looked bored…….. Just a Theo and Jed “yes man”. Very bad team – Note: God decline their offer to stay at home
Don’t read too much into press conferences. They don’t really tell you anything about the manager.
Why would you want a whacko like Valentine who’s never won anything? To put on a show to attract attention? I agree that Alomar is probably the best at this point although Lovullo may know some of the young players having been in Pawtucket.
Valentine took the Mets to the World Series, and I’m pretty sure Alomar/Lovullo haven’t.
*Valentine took the Mets to last place, and a falling apart that dwarfs anything the Red Sox had last year.
I’m down for Valentine. I met him when I went to a Chiba Lotte Marines game in Japan… got to chat with him in his office and then talk to some of the players. He seems like a really easy going guy but would walk in with the respect needed to take care of business and get the team back on track. Plus, for what it’s worth, his players seemed to really like playing for him ( I only could talk to the two english speaking players I saw on the field before the game.)
Smith and Wade have to go. The Astros need a new GM who can accept the challenge of rebuilding the organization the right way unimpeded. Smith and Wade were Uncle Drayton’s yes men and have that taint over them. No fan seriously trusts them with the Astros future.
Agreed – Jim should just call (or go cybor send email) today and tell both to not show up Monday. Checks are in the mail -they probably both have direct deposit.
“Taint may not have been the best choice of wording when describing what two men have over them”…
Ah, that made me laugh.
if you told me in august (or even in september) that after the season the red sox would fire terry francona and hire bobby valentine i would have punched you in the face for being ridiculous
starting to look like i’m going to be punching myself in the face here shortly as we slowly but surely become the mets
LOL. To quote Donald Sutherland from the move “kelly’s Heroes”.. “Have a little faith baby..Have a little faith”
means nothing to this, I know, but I gotta give a shoutout to Donald Sutherland, the all-time Montreal Expos fan
“as we slowly but surely become the mets”
I don’t think you are giving near enough credit to Mets fans for just how much they’ve been through.
As an Oriole fan things are so bad that we envy Mets fans. Even the Cubs have a brighter future than us. As long as A$$elos owns the team. Our only hope is if the Commisioner steps in to order new ownership via the best intrests of baseball clause.
When your only hope is Bud Selig doing something right , then you know you’re screwed 😉
“as we slowly but surely become the mets”
As a Met fan, I just have to roll my eyes at this.
Normally I like you. But this lack of faith is disturbing.
on the one hand, that was a joke about the mets-valentine connection and i’m pretty surprised people are taking it seriously. i’m hardly an alarmist
on the other hand, i definitely reject any argument for faith here. faith is what i’d have in a good process. it’s not even clear what the process is right now with lucchino at the helm in the wake of epstein’s departure, let alone that it’s a good one
having said that, i’m not thinking doomsday. i’m just thinking “ugh, bobby valentine”
I find your lack of faith disturbing. Bobby Valentine may be a hotheaded dink, and sure, he lost control of the Met’s clubhouse (pot was their chicken and beer) but Bobby Valentine is a…no, I can’t even defend him…
He never lost control of the clubhouse. He was fired because GM Steve Phillips didn’t want someone who would talk or have any sort of opinion on anything. He just wanted to have someone who would shut up and let Al Leiter and John Franco play armchair GM.
“i’m not thinking doomsday.”
Just Valentine’s Day?
You think this is bad? Just wait until you have to deal with Art Howe.
But he was so good in that Brad Pitt movie…
Never thought I’d see you hit the panic button. This is turning into like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie.
i doubt you ever will. you’ve definitely seen me make fun of my own team (along with every other), though. and that’s probably going to increase ten fold if valentine comes on board
whenever budt selling has an idea, it makes baseball worse.
Agreed.
Budt Selling?
Really?
Here is what having hard time understanding the orioles..
They already have the perfect DH in Luke Scott, yet are possibly looking at adding ortiz, who would cost more and Scott can at least play a below average corner OF and 1B in an emergency, plus even at 6m be cheaper?
Streaky hitter or not.. He should be healthy this season..Them getting ortiz makes no sense.
Them getting ortiz makes no sense.<<<< What you say here makes sense.
They already have the perfect DH in Luke Scott. <<< Not true and makes no sense.
Regardless of what you heard from most O's fans and their media. Vlad did a pretty good job last year as our primary DH. Was he worth the 8 Million, he signed for is a topic for another day. As far as I am concerned, Vlad did his job. Luke was hurt for most of last season. Luke is not only a streaky hitter, he has one swing and he swings like he is chopping wood, which not surprising because he works out by chopping wood. Also, his batting average with RISP was not very good nor are his career numbers with RISP. While I wish him well in his future endeavors, I would love to sign Aoki from Japan with the money they save. Or sign Cody Ross. I would take either. However, since Duquette said he's not spending money in free agency this year on marquee names, my hopes of a successful 2012 are dwindling as is my opinion of Duquette and the rest of the Oriole Bunch.
Vlad put up replacement level numbers while making 8 million — I’d have a hard time saying he “did a pretty good job last year as our primary DH.”
Also, if you’ve ever chopped wood, you’ll know it’s an overhead, downward motion and does not resemble the swinging of a bat. You’re doing it wrong.
I guess you have never chopped down a tree.
Chopping wood, and the actual cutting down of a tree are two entirely different motions.
I highly doubt Luke Scott clears a small forest with an axe as a morning workout. In fact, I follow the Orioles closely, and know that he has said before that he chops wood.
OIC a semantics game. How exciting!
He chops wood during the off season. This is an overhead, downward swinging motion that does not remotely resemble swinging a baseball bat. Enough said.
You’re trying to berate his skills because he “swings like he is chopping wood” and this couldn’t be more incorrect. That’s all.
If you want to defend your comments regarding Vlad and the “pretty good job” he did last year, feel free …
Since you seem to think a last place team should spend tons of money for a DH…
Exactly what is the reasoning behind giving ortiz the 2/20m area it is going to cost to finish in last place next season and that is only if Ortiz is willing to play for a last place team?
Sure, Vlad was ok last year, he lost his power at a place inwhich most would have thought he would have put up higher numbers, but over all he had a decent season.
Will The Duke gamble that the 36 (?) YO DH will not fall off of a cliff next year? Vlad will cost more than Scott and at least Scott can play a few positions in an emergency.
As for “makes no sense” retaining Vlad would define that and especially at/near his 2011 salary of 8m.
I kind of like Luke Scott to the Braves if he can stay healthy. This guy has monster power.
I think you greatly over-exaggerate his “monster power,” notably because he is coming back from a shoulder injury that really sapped whatever power he was showing.
With that said, people think Scott has “attitude problems” because of his political views. From all accounts I’ve read this isn’t true and he’s a good clubhouse guy and if the O’s don’t resign him, a team could really get a good supplemental piece.
Exactly. he is a Swisher type, without the glove.
Scott has shown pretty good power with the orioles, but they always seem (HR) to come in bunches and as a Sox fan..Seeing the long time Sox killer out of the AL would be a definite plus.
He may be a Swisher-type but Swisher >>>>> Scott in hitting as well.
Just 3 more years!!! then we can say Bye Bye Alfonso!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cubs…the biggest joke in professional sports
Aren’t we past calling them a joke? They’re pretty much irrelevant now. All kidding aside, I think Epstein will do a great job with the Cubs.
You forgot about the NBA. And MLS. And Curling. Oh and the Colts.
Bobby Valentine expects to meet with Red Sox GM Ben Cherington on Monday and could emerge as the favorite for the job if his meeting goes well, a source tells Jeff Passan of Yahoo
Gee, Jeff, who would have thought that? Same goes for the other 5,999,999,999 people on this planet who go for their interviews, and I didn’t need a source to tell me that one.
The rest of the AL would like to send Boston early thanksgiving greetings and best wishes. We wish you best of luck next year with Bobby Valentine as your manager. He will be a formidable foe.
Enjoy your turkey.
Like starting the 2008 world series game number 5 in the pouring rain, with the phillies best and most reliable pitcher on the mound , and now not receiving a first round pick for madson and having to give one up for paps I think BUD DBAG SELIG just tried to screw the phillies again
I think that bud is just trying to screwall the teams but his favorite of evilempires in Boston and New York Yankees. Just look at what this new has done to the small market clubs. Screwed them royally. Why not make the al east a division of nny and bos and only one goes to the playoff. Bud suxs, can’t wait for him to retire. Hopefully he goes further with it and makes two fifteen league and the sweet 16 from each league makes the playoffs. Oh well I guess they will have to expand two teams for sweet sixteen. Up the roster to 28 and install a salarycap. More players will be in majors which should make mlb player assoc happy.
Salary Caps are terrible for sports. If a team wants to spend, they should. If anything there should be a salary floor. If you don’t meet the floor, you can’t participate in revenue sharing. It’s funny how everyone bashes big spending teams, but always seem to forget it’s those teams who literally pay for other team’s players.
I know he is 26 but if EY2 can play a below average defense his career minors line is .297/.388/.423
Sad day in Cubs history, re: Alfonso Soriano
I’m no Cubs’ fan, but I even hear FDR saying “a date which will live in infamy” after I read “On this day in 2006, the Cubs signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136MM deal.”.
It’s pretty sad such a great franchise under the Yawkey family. Now none of the good managers out there want nothing to do with the pressue cooker of Boston. Good luck with Bobby Valentine since they”ll probabley be out of it by Valentines Day. Now it’s all about the money$
Calendar fail or funny fail?
The racist, championshless, money mongering Yawkeys?
“he says the Twins and Dodgers paid role players like final pieces to the puzzle and are counting on them for too much (referring to Jamey Carroll and Mark Ellis, respectively).”
-Mark Townsend, reported by Zach Links
Correct me if I’m wrong, but how can you refer to any signing at this time as being “final pieces to the puzzle” when the offseason has basically just begun? If you want an example of an overpaid player look at soon-to-be-signed C.J. Wilson as an example.
In fairness, he said like final pieces. But I think he answered his own question in his first line: “It’s tough to find good middle infield help these days.” There’s the market for you.
Anyway it’s kind of amusing to see a sportswriter declare that all of these teams “overpaid” for all of these players, as if all of them could really have been signed for less. Interesting logic.
If you want a player, you want a player. If you overpay so be it, as long as you get what you want. Unlike, the Orioles they just simply overpay (Kevin Gregg) or give a MLB contact to jokers ( Antonelli, Duchsherer, or Cesar Izturius)
I never bought the “overpaid” theory. It’s always advanced by people (fans, sportswriters) who don’t sign players in the actual player market, so they are just second-guessing without the benefit of real knowledge. When you see how much a player gets, that’s how much they are worth in the market. Just like anything else.
When I read the article I noticed the very same thing you are pointing out to me. It just struck me as odd that he would go as far to say that they are even considered final pieces at all, considering the offseason has just begun and there is so much more to be decided. For all we know Jamey Carroll WILL BE THE BACKUP if the Twins see something in Tsuyoshi Nishioka during spring training. My guess is though that the chance of that happening is slim to none.
Nobody is “overpaid”, most of the players on the market are simply “over valued”.
That’s one way of looking at it. If we weren’t so damned interested in baseball and if more people were good at playing the game, then the players would not be valued so highly. Whenever I hear myself complaining about all the money in the game I remind myself that if it wasn’t for fans like me, ballplayers would be paid maybe as much as librarians or cops.