T1B

Report: Cubs sign Soriano to $136 million contract

November 19, 2006
CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Cubs' ownership is showing new manager Lou Piniella that they are serious about winning.

Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 reported Sunday that the Cubs have signed outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year contract worth approximately $136 million.

The move would clearly mark the highlight in an already busy offseason for the Cubs, who have signed free-agent infielder Mark DeRosa and have re-signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez and righthander Kerry Wood.

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But the biggest prize is Soriano, who is coming off an outstanding all-around season for the Washington Nationals in which he hit .277 with 46 home runs and 95 RBI. The 30-year-old ranked third in the National League in homers and also stole 41 bases - the sixth-highest total in the circuit.

After complaining in spring training about having to move from second base to left field, Soriano blossomed in his new surroundings. He led the league with 22 outfield assists, six more than his closest competitor, and displayed respectable range for a converted infielder.

Soriano became the first player in baseball history with 40 home runs, 40 stolen bases and 20 outfield assists in a single season. He also became the first member of the 40-40-40 club, which encapsulates homers, stolen bases and doubles.

An All-Star in each of the last five years, Soriano owns a .280 average with 208 home runs and 560 RBI in eight seasons with the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and the Nationals.

Soriano won the AL Rookie of the Year award with the Yankees in 2001, when he hit .268 with 18 homers and 73 RBI. He finished third in MVP voting the following season, when he increased his average to .300 and collected 39 homers and 102 RBI.

A whole .277 and 95 ribbies?

Damn. The Cubbies signed a guy who can't field any position, who hits for an average average in a good year, and has a less-than-impessive OBP, which takes some of the luster off a base-stealer.

But hey, at least he whines like a little bitch when things don't go his way.


And this is why the Cubs are the Cubs.

THANK GOD!!!


Sin,

The Cubs broken armed pitching staff.

No way, dude. They resigned Kerry Wood. Go ahead and start planning for the WS in Chicago this fall.

They're going to be able to mash with Lee, Ramirez and Soriano but the pitching staff is still a mess right now. They're a better team with this move but no where near the top teams in the NL.

Alfonso Sosa was a tremendous signing.


Maybe they can coax Keith Moreland and Steve Trout out of retirement too.

Dinsdale wrote:A whole .277 and 95 ribbies?

Damn. The Cubbies signed a guy who can't field any position, who hits for an average average in a good year, and has a less-than-impessive OBP, which takes some of the luster off a base-stealer.

But hey, at least he whines like a little bitch when things don't go his way.


And this is why the Cubs are the Cubs.

I'll disagree with you on this Dins.. RFK is a shitty place to play baseball... the dimensions are huge and for Soriano to put up those numbers in that ballpark surrounded by a bunch of shitty players is pretty good. I was hoping the Phillies would have gotten him.. his average would have climed 20 points and he'd have over 100 RBIs...easily... As for his fielding, while he took some bad angles in the outfield, overall he developed into a better than average left fielder. How he does in center will be interesting.

jtr wrote:CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Cubs' ownership is showing new manager Lou Piniella that they are serious about winning.

Biggest LOL'er I've had in quite a while. If they were so serious about winning... they #1, would never had signed Pinella to be their skipper, and #2, would be making splashes in the free agency market to help shore up their horrible pitching staff.



Big Lou and Soriano will put asses in the seats, but that will not bring them a pennant. I can't wait to see Pinella try and bench Alphonso for being stupid/lazy/etc. Drama, drama, drama.... and about 78 wins.

I would advise said ballplayer to take the spoils and place the spoils offshore in either the Caymans or the Cook Islands. For a modest fee of course...

ucantdoitdoggieSTyle2 wrote:Big Lou and Soriano will put asses in the seats, but that will not bring them a pennant. I can't wait to see Pinella try and bench Alphonso for being stupid/lazy/etc. Drama, drama, drama.... and about 78 wins.

Oyeh. Dollars to dingleberries that Sweet Lou drops that puke on his ass at some point during the year. Lou will ask Soriano to do something extraordinary such as, oh I don't know, give serious chase to a fly ball, Soriano will complain about an "ouchie," and Lou, being slightly tempermental, will bust him in the chops. Feel good party falls apart. Cubs finish third.