Flip_Side Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) Team prepared to put Soriano on disqualified list Read: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2377395 What would you guys do with him? Edited March 22, 2006 by Flip_Side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Team prepared to put Soriano on disqualified list Read: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2377395 What would you guys do with him? 1381083[/snapback] Seeing as how he told the team prior to the trade that there was no way he'd move to the outfield I would honor that, and not force the issue the way the team is currently. If a head hunter comes along with a job opportunity and you say "I don't do that, so don't expect me too" would they be in the wrong to say "ok, sign up and you can stay where you are comfortable" and then they try to do you wrongly who is in the wrong here? Sure, you rarely see this from a player, but he DID tell the Nats he wouldn't move to the outfield..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Read: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2377395 What would you guys do with him? 1381083[/snapback] Seeing as how he told the team prior to the trade that there was no way he'd move to the outfield I would honor that, and not force the issue the way the team is currently. If a head hunter comes along with a job opportunity and you say "I don't do that, so don't expect me too" would they be in the wrong to say "ok, sign up and you can stay where you are comfortable" and then they try to do you wrongly who is in the wrong here? Sure, you rarely see this from a player, but he DID tell the Nats he wouldn't move to the outfield..... 1381125[/snapback] Exactly. This is a case where the club is wrong, it's not just a player being selfish. 2B is his position, he's a top tier 2B. The Nats were aware of this before the deal, heck even I was aware of this. As an OF his value declines and he knows that. I side with Soriano on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Seeing as how he told the team prior to the trade that there was no way he'd move to the outfield I would honor that, and not force the issue the way the team is currently. If a head hunter comes along with a job opportunity and you say "I don't do that, so don't expect me too" would they be in the wrong to say "ok, sign up and you can stay where you are comfortable" and then they try to do you wrongly who is in the wrong here? Sure, you rarely see this from a player, but he DID tell the Nats he wouldn't move to the outfield..... 1381125[/snapback] Exactly. This is a case where the club is wrong, it's not just a player being selfish. 2B is his position, he's a top tier 2B. The Nats were aware of this before the deal, heck even I was aware of this. As an OF his value declines and he knows that. I side with Soriano on this one. 1381157[/snapback] The problem is the team has a better fielding 2nd baseman in Vidro. He will be traded I am sure soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BYoder Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The problem is the team has a better fielding 2nd baseman in Vidro. He will be traded I am sure soon enough. 1381165[/snapback] Why not put him at SS? Wasn't that his original position at Columbus (AAA) and the Yankees moved him to 2B because of Jeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Why not put him at SS? Wasn't that his original position at Columbus (AAA) and the Yankees moved him to 2B because of Jeter 1381169[/snapback] I don't think Soriano would play SS. He's a second baseman. I think his point is that he wants to play second and refuses to play anything else. Interesting idea though, Christian Guzman is no Miguel Tejada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The problem is the team has a better fielding 2nd baseman in Vidro. 1381165[/snapback] Then they shouldn't have traded for him and gotten his approval by telling him he had second base and wouldn't get moved to the outfield. This is on the Nats. Fair and square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Then they shouldn't have traded for him and gotten his approval by telling him he had second base and wouldn't get moved to the outfield. This is on the Nats. Fair and square. 1381188[/snapback] well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flip_Side Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Then they shouldn't have traded for him and gotten his approval by telling him he had second base and wouldn't get moved to the outfield. This is on the Nats. Fair and square. 1381188[/snapback] I agree with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broncosn05 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Then they shouldn't have traded for him and gotten his approval by telling him he had second base and wouldn't get moved to the outfield. This is on the Nats. Fair and square. 1381188[/snapback] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegFuJohnson Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 The Nats made a bad trade. No question there. But Soriano needs to play the OF if that's what the manager says to do. Sitting out proves nothing. His "value" isn't going to decline. This isn't fantasy baseball. If he plays the OF this year, he can still be a free agent and play 2B next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skrappy1 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 It seems like there's a lot more to this than meets the eye. In defense of the Nats, they claim that they wanted to talk to Soriano before making the trade for him (to see if he would move to the OF), but that Texas refused them permission to talk to him until after the trade was completed and all players involved has passed their physicals. Now, if you want to say that should have been a red flag, or that the Nats could have asked around and learned that Soriano didn't want to move off 2B, those are certainly valid points IMO. In defense of Soriano's actions from yesterday, supposedly he restated his stance to the Nats during the day that he didn't want to play if he wasn't playing 2B. The Nats then posted a different lineup card in the clubhouse than the one that was officially submitted prior to the start of the game. Evidently this lineup card didn't include Soriano at all, and he thought that because of what he had said that he wasn't playing, so he left the park thinking that he wasn't in the lineup. He didn't know he actually was supposed to be in the lineup until Nick Johnson called him during the game and told him so. So even though I think Soriano is still clearly wrong here, he didn't actually refuse to take the field during the game...maybe he would have actually relented and played had he known that he was in the lineup. I'll guess we'll find out tommorrow if that's the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 His "value" isn't going to decline. This isn't fantasy baseball. If he plays the OF this year, he can still be a free agent and play 2B next year. 1381438[/snapback] But that's not true: his bat combined with his ability to play second base makes him a 10mil/year player. That same bat in LF makes him a 5-7mil/year outfielder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Holliday Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 (edited) But that's not true: his bat combined with his ability to play second base makes him a 10mil/year player. That same bat in LF makes him a 5-7mil/year outfielder. 1382300[/snapback] And the price of what it costs to see him whining.....priceless. Edited March 22, 2006 by Doc Holliday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skrappy1 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Soriano is starting in LF for the Nationals today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegFuJohnson Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 But that's not true: his bat combined with his ability to play second base makes him a 10mil/year player. That same bat in LF makes him a 5-7mil/year outfielder. 1382300[/snapback] Of course it is. Next year he can still play 2B. He's already getting his $10 million for this year. He's a free agent, and can shop himself as a power hitting 2B. If some team wants to only pay him $5-7M to play the OF, he can say no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Of course it is. Next year he can still play 2B. He's already getting his $10 million for this year. He's a free agent, and can shop himself as a power hitting 2B. If some team wants to only pay him $5-7M to play the OF, he can say no. 1382589[/snapback] Sure, but in the professional world, making a move like this is tantamount to a career change. His main worry is probably that he makes the move for one season, and no one will want him as a 2B again, and will be seen forevermore as an outfielder. He's basically fighting for his future worth. And I'm not really a soriano fan..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegFuJohnson Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Sure, but in the professional world, making a move like this is tantamount to a career change. His main worry is probably that he makes the move for one season, and no one will want him as a 2B again, and will be seen forevermore as an outfielder. He's basically fighting for his future worth. And I'm not really a soriano fan..... 1382602[/snapback] I see what you are saying, but the way he plays 2B (not well), it's possible he'd enter free agency, and everyone would be telling him they want him as an OF anyway. He can announce to bidders that he wants to play 2B next year. If no one wants him to do so, he might have a problem. Maybe a year away from leading the league in errors, and someone might forget how bad he was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cherni Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 I see what you are saying, but the way he plays 2B (not well), it's possible he'd enter free agency, and everyone would be telling him they want him as an OF anyway. He can announce to bidders that he wants to play 2B next year. If no one wants him to do so, he might have a problem. Maybe a year away from leading the league in errors, and someone might forget how bad he was. 1382699[/snapback] Whatever he lacks defensively, his offense production more than makes up for it. He might make 5 errors that costs his team the game, but over the course of the year his win shares are way above the cost of having him at 2B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Now Soriano relents, goes to left field for Nationals March 22, 2006 CBS SportsLine.com wire reports JUPITER, Fla. -- Alfonso Soriano jogged in a few steps to catch a routine fly ball by Albert Pujols, then threw to second base to double off David Eckstein. Advertisement Nice start by the Washington Nationals' reluctant left fielder. Soriano agreed to take his new spot in the outfield for an exhibition game Wednesday, two days after refusing to move from second base. "It's a relief for everybody, it really is," manager Frank Robinson said before the Nationals played the St. Louis Cardinals. "We get the distractions away from here and we can focus on baseball now and getting this ballclub tuned up and ready to go for opening day," he said. Soriano did not comment before the game. He was all smiles as players stretched and took batting practice, and he also signed several autographs. Soriano was an AL All-Star the last four years at second base, and played there this spring for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He has never played the outfield in a major league game. The Nationals got Soriano in an offseason trade, with Texas and general manager Jim Bowden and Robinson have been trying to persuade him to switch positions since then. Washington already has an established second baseman, three-time All-Star Jose Vidro. Robinson said he considered the position move permanent, saying he doesn't even consider Soriano the backup at second base. "We're doing it for the season," Robinson said. "We didn't ask him to do it for today, that's not the answer we wanted." Soriano flied out to lead off against the Cardinals. He later doubled and scored the Nationals' first run in the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, Soriano made the play to double off Eckstein, who wandered far from the bag. Soriano had been scheduled to make his first spring appearance on Monday night against the Dodgers. But after being listed on the lineup card in left field, he refused to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 You can either go home or play leftfield for $10 million-your choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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