Kuzul

The last time he demanded a trade he got denied.  But now, I think he’s really on his way out.

After the Adrian Beltre signing, Michael Young was moved from third base over to the DH spot.  Now, with the acquisition of catcher/first basemen/DH Mike Napoli, Young has been relegated to a backup infield/DH role.

The Rangers currently have insane amounts of depth, and Michael Young has requested to not be a part of it.

He’s understandably upset.  Young has put 11 solid—and I mean solid—years with the Texas Rangers franchise.  He has done whatever has been asked of him over the years and only recently has begun to complain.

After the Alfonso Soriano acquisition in 2004, Young graciously shifted to his right and played shortstop until the 2009 season, when high-profile prospect Elvis Andrus made his debut.  He has played third base since then, and he has played it flawlessly.

Now, he’s on the move again.  Unfortunately, it could be to a different club altogether. 

Young is the staple of consistency. He hasn’t played in less than 135 games since 2001, when he also hit for the lowest average in his career at .249.  Ever since that season, his lowest average is a respectable .262, which he hit the following season.

His best season came in 2005, when he led the league in hits with 221 and batting average with .331.  He had a .331/.385/.513 slash line that season with a career-high 24 home runs.  He knocked in 91 runs and hit 40 doubles and five triples, just for good measure.

Young as hit over .300 in six of his 11 seasons in the bigs and has had over 200 hits five times.

What team wouldn’t salivate over acquiring that kind of production?

Young has declared that he won’t waive his no-trade clause to the 22 teams that are on the list.  In other words, the Rangers can only trade him to the eight nameless teams that are on the list.

The Rangers, at this point, are looking just to get rid of their disgruntled superstar, but he could demand a hefty return. 

He can still pick it at any position in the infield, and his bat is one of the most consistent in the league. 

Theoretically, he could be acquired for two mid- to high-level prospects.  Realistically, we’ll see.  Teams will probably look to buy low on the star considering his recent demands. 

Seeing Young anywhere but Arlington is going to be difficult for baseball fans, and even more difficult for Texas fans who have grown to love their underrated superstar. 

He’ll produce anywhere he goes, no doubt about it, but the Rangers will be sorry he’s gone.  It’s just too difficult to replace that kind of consistency and production.

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Alfonso Soriano turned 35 in January. He managed to play 147 games last year, but he missed 125 games combined the three previous seasons. He was once considered an elite fantasy outfielder, but those days are over.

While his 24 HRs put him in a tie for 15th among outfielders, the rest of his numbers fall way short of upper echelon outfielders. His 67 runs were tied for 49th. His 79 RBIs ranked 24th. He was once a stolen base threat, but his five SBs were worse than 75 other outfielders. His .258 batting average was tied for 41st. Those simply aren’t the numbers we’ve come to expect from Soriano…or are they?

Granted, he missed 98 games in 2008 and 2009, but his average line from 2008-2010 is .259, 69 runs, 24.3 HRs, 69.7 RBIs and 11 SBs. He’s simply not the same player that averaged 106.2 runs, 36.7 HRs, 92.2 RBIs and 30.7 SBs from 2002-2007.

Soriano started the season strong, hitting .301 with 29 runs, nine HRs, 27 RBIs and three SBs in the first two months. The rest of the way he hit .237 with 38 runs, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs and two SBs.

So what should you do with a 35-year-old outfielder that is in a decline? One that offers a little bit of power and little else. One that used to be much better than he is now.

The answer is quite simple. Let somebody else draft him while you select someone with more upside.

Do you agree or do you think he still has good fantasy value?

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs have already traded for starting pitcher Matt Garza and traded away starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny this winter, and it seems very possible that that will be enough for GM Jim Hendry. There is relatively little else Chicago could do at this point, with the key free agents off the market and the team unlikely to leapfrog the Brewers and Reds into the top spot in a rational prognosticator’s picture of the 2011 NL Central division.

Of course, miracles happen every day (see Wells, Vernon), so perhaps the Cubs can find a diamond somewhere in the January rough and make themselves into a more legitimate contender either in 2011 or in the longer term. Read on for five deals the Cubs could try to swing to turn their fortunes for the better.

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It happens every year. We set our sights on a player who we think will carry us to a championship, and we overpay. Last year, I choose to ride the Ricky Nolasco express based on all the pre-season hype. I missed him in the draft but decided to pay for him via trade. I paid for the mistake by going on that bumpy ride all season long. 

Looking through some early mock drafts, I came up with a list of players that I feel are being drafted too high in these pre-season drafts. Now don’t get me wrong, I would like to have some of these players on my team as some of them are very good. The problem that I have is with the position in which they are being taken. 

Some of their average draft positions (ADP) make me shake my head with disgust knowing that people are planning to take these players at that given time. I will attempt to explain why I think these nine players are ranked too high in 2011 mock drafts. 

I will also try to provide a list of players from the same position that are being taken after that said player to prove that their are better options at a cheaper price: A true win/win scenario.

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After 103 years of failure and disappointment, there have to be some excuses as to why the Chicago Cubs cannot win a World Series, let alone make it to one. Cubs fans have suffered, but remained loyal for inexplicable circumstances, including injuries and blunders. It has been a highlight reel of misfortune. This will discuss the top five reasons as to why the Cubs cannot win.

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Someone’s name value can certainly cause many people to overvalue them.  You think that, based on the name alone, the player should be able to live up to the expectations we have attributed to them in the past.  It doesn’t matter what the player has done in recent years, the name holds value.  It’s engrained in our minds.

It’s a mistake you do not want to make.

A perfect example of this phenomenon as we head into 2011 is Alfonso Soriano.  According to Mock Draft Central, he has an ADP of 100.81 and is the 25th outfielder coming off the board.  In comparison, I have him ranked outside the top 60 in the recent release of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide (click here if you are interested in purchasing the guide, which features the top 90 prospects for 2011, over 550 player projections and much more).

The name is certainly causing many owners to overvalue him.

Let’s take a look at why I feel that way.

First, his 2010 statistics:

496 At Bats
.258 Batting Average (128 Hits)
24 Home Runs
79 RBI
67 Runs
5 Stolen Bases
.322 On Base Percentage
.496 Slugging Percentage
.295 Batting Average on Balls in Play

Once upon a time, he was a threat to put up a 40/40 season, but those days are long behind him.  He has 14 stolen bases, total, over the past two years and has not had more than 20 since he played his only season in Washington (2006).  To think he could suddenly rediscover that ability, at age 35, would be a huge mistake.  It’s something that is no longer is in his skill set, so we can simply disregard it.

He only reached 100 RBI once in his career.  In fact, his 79 in 2010 is the most he has had in his four seasons as a member of the Cubs.  Granted, that is slightly skewed due to spending time hitting leadoff, but that wasn’t the case in 2010.

After hitting primarily first for his first three seasons in Chicago, he spent the bulk of his time hitting sixth (381 AB) in 2010.  That’s likely where he will be once again in 2011, meaning we can expect him to potentially reach around 80 RBI, but that’s about it.

That also means his opportunity to score runs is going to be extremely limited.  Considering his OBP and his spot in the lineup, do we really think he can score more than 70 runs?  In 2010, there were 33 outfield eligible players to score at least 80 runs.  There were 49 who scored at least 70 runs.  This fact alone puts Soriano as borderline usable in deeper formats.

Just to make matters worse is his power—something that used to help separate him from the rest of the pack but is now average at best.  Over the past three seasons, he has averaged around 24 HR a season, really a number that is nothing special for an outfielder.

Is it a decent number?  Yes, it is.  He was actually in the top 20 among outfielders in home runs in 2010, but there were 33 who hit at least 20.  Now, throw in the fact there is a risk of regression at play.

In 2010 Soriano set a career high in his fly ball rate, at 54.3 percent.  Since 2002, his fly ball rate is 47.4 percent.  Considering his fall in HR/FB in recent years (11.5 percent and 11.8 percent over the past two seasons compared to a 14.9 percent career mark), there is a very good chance he doesn’t replicate the 24 he slugged in 2010.  In fact, would it surprise anyone if he fell short of 20?

Throw in an average that has been less than stellar (.277 for his career but under .260 the past two seasons) and exactly what is it that we are buying into?

Those people who are drafting Alfonso Soriano are doing so based on name value and nothing more.  Do not get caught up in it and waste a pick as early as you seemingly need to in order to get him.  He’s a borderline usable option, even in five-outfielder formats and much better suited to a reserve role.

What are your thoughts of Soriano?  Is he a player you would want to own?  Where would you be willing to select him on draft day?

**** Make sure to order your copy of the Rotoprofessor 2011 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide, selling for just $5, by clicking here. ****

Make sure to check out some of our 2011 projections:

• Buchholz, Clay
• Butler, Billy
• Choo, Shin-Soo
• Ethier, Andre
• Freese, David
• Hughes, Phil
• Jaso, John
• Johnson, Chris
• Morrow, Brandon
• Uggla, Dan
• Reyes, Jose
• Suzuki, Kurt
• Wieters, Matt
• Willingham, Josh
• Young, Michael

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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The New York Mets will be paying Bobby Bonilla until 2035.

With no salary cap and a new crop of talented free agents every season, it’s no surprise that the MLB is littered with bad contracts.

Teams are struggling with payroll flexibility both short and long-term in a tight economy, and these ten guys are big reasons as to why so many argue that there needs to be a cap in place. 

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Since the September call-up, the Cubs rookie outfielder Brad Snyder has had the privilege of enjoying two double-RBI games in his first eight major league games.  On Thursday afternoon, he reached another level of enjoyment by hitting out first game-winning RBI. 

His single in the ninth inning generated the winning run for the Chicago Cubs who took the four-game series finale with a 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres in PETCO Park.  With the win, the visitors snapped their two-series losing streak and dimmed the Padres’ chance to make the playoffs.

Both teams’ pitching staffs performed creditably, especially for both starting pitchers, Tom Gorzelanny and Jon Garland who formed an outstanding pitching dual witnessed by a crowd of 28,576 in the last getaway day of the 2010 season.

Gorzelanny returned to his top form after a few disappointing recent outings.  The southpaw tossed six scoreless innings scattering three hits with three strikeouts and four walks. 

A couple of great defensive plays helped him to pass through those innings clean.    

In the second, Yorvit Torrealba led off with a single but with one out, Gorzelanny picked him off, and threw him out at second in a base-stealing attempt.  He gave up another single to Chase Headley, but stranded him at first.

In the sixth, the hurler gave up back-to-back walks to David Eckstein and Miguel Tejada.  He then forced Adrian Gonzalez to hit a 6-3 double play which crossed out Tejada at second.  Moving to third, Eckstein became the only Padre who reached as far as third base in the game.  But he was not sent home after Ryan Ludwick hit an inning-ending fly-out to center-field.

The other game starter, Garland, pitched hard to help his team to close gap with the NL West leaders, the San Francisco Giants who procured their fourth victory in a row against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the same day. 

Garland had already recorded a win against the Cubs in Wrigley Field on August 17, when he pitched seven scoreless innings.  He had the similar line today but did not get the win for his team.

Since allowing a single to lead-off Blake DeWitt in the first, he retired 14 consecutive Cubs before issuing a walk to Alfonso Soriano in the fifth.  He left the game after blanking the Cubs in 6.1 innings on four hits and striking out eight with a walk.

The Cubs scored the game-winning run in the ninth. 

The Padres closer, Heath Bell (6-1), replaced Mike Adams and gave up a lead-off single to Aramis Ramirez who was then substituted by pinch-runner Darwin Barney.  Xavier Nady followed with a sacrifice bunt which sent the potential go-ahead run to second.  Having struck out twice in three previous at bats, Snyder hit a high-bound groundball that passed between shortstop and third base to left field to tally Barney.

Sean Marshall (7-5) who relieved Andrew Cashner in the eighth inning was credited with the win.  Carlos Marmol retired the side in the ninth including striking out Gonzalez and Ludwick for his 37th save of the year, his 15th straight in as many save situations.

The Cubs left San Diego after the game for Houston where they will play their last series of the year against the Astros.  Meanwhile, the Padres will start their do-or-die series tomorrow in San Francisco as they skid to three games behind the Giants in the NL West standings.

This article is also featured on www.sportshaze.com.

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History will look back at Alfonso Soriano in many ways.

Some will view him as having one of the most dominating combinations of power and speed to ever play the game. Others, mostly Cubs fans, will view him as one of the biggest overpaid players in baseball history.

So, I raise the question, is Soriano a Hall of Famer?

Of course, right now, it’s too early to tell. He still has four years left in his contract, and he will be 38 years old at contract’s end.

Soriano’s  current numbers are not Hall of Fame worthy. He has a career batting average of .278, a total of 308 home runs, and 813 runs scored.

His power numbers are respectable, but nothing great.

Soriano has also stole 261 bags, hit 356 doubles, and has crossed home plate 909 times.

Soriano has about four and a half years to increase his numbers.

I project Soriano to retire with at least 350 home runs, 2,250 hits, 1,200 RBI, 1,200 runs, and 300 steals. While they may not appear to look like Hall of Fame numbers let’s dig a little deeper.

Based on my projections, he will be the seventh member of the 300-300 club. A club that includes Hall of Famers to the likes of Willie Mays, Andre Dawson Bobby Bonds.

Soriano will also be the third member of the 350-300 club and the fifth member of the 2,000-300-300 club. 

Back in 2001, Soriano won the Rookie of the Year Award with the Yankees. Along with being a seven time All-Star and winning the MVP in 2004.

Soriano’s list of accomplishments doesn’t end there.

He made the All-Star team three times as a second basemen and four times as an outfielder. He has won the Silver Slugger Award four times and has made the playoffs five times—including two trips to the Fall Classic.

More impressively, Soriano has had four seasons where he has gone 30-30.

Now, the key stay, in my opinion, that could make Soriano Hall of Fame worthy is his membership in the 40-40 club.

In the history of the game, only four players have achieved 40-40 status: Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano.

However, what do the other three members of the 40-40 club have in common?

They all have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs! If you’re linked to performance enhancing drugs, all your records should be tarnished whether or not you where using them at the time, in my opinion.

There are still lots of “ifs” and “buts” on whether or not Soriano is Hall of Fame quality.

But, if he plays four more seasons, stays healthy, and puts up average numbers, he should be able to produce along the lines of my earlier predictions.

In his prime, Soriano had the best combination of speed and power in the history of the game, and because of that, I think he deserves to go to the Hall of Fame.

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Alfonso Soriano plays left field for the moribund Chicago Cubs. He is batting .267, with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs, and has stolen foures bases. In 2009, he hit .241.

At the age of 34, it is safe to say that Mr. Soriano will not have the career Derek Jeter predicted for him.

In 2001, Soriano hit the home run off Curt Schilling that was supposed to bring the New York Yankees’ fans their fourth consecutive World Championship. It would have been the third time sports greatest dynasty accomplished the feat, but it never happened.

Mariano Rivera didn’t protect a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Arizona Diamondbacks gave the Yankees the worst defeat in the team’s history.

Yes, it was worse than the Boston Red Sox four game sweep in the 2004 playoffs, because the World Series is not the playoffs.

Derek Jeter was concerned about Soriano. During spring training, 2002, Jeter pulled his teammate aside for a conference. When it was over, Jeter spoke.

“I could tell he was really paying attention and listening. He knew what I was trying to tell him.”

Jeter knew that in his second season, Soriano would face many challenges.

Jeter warned Soriano about the adjustments pitchers would make, and what expectations the media, fans, and the Yankees would have for him.

Jeter had been through it all. His approach was simple.

“The whole point was just to continue to have fun. That’s the only way to be successful. Continue to have fun and relax.”

Soriano had a great April, hitting .364 and leading the league in hits, total bases, extra base hits and doubles.

“I know the pitchers know me, and I go out with more concentration in the game,” Soriano said. “I remember what Jeter told me. Now a lot of people know me, the managers and the players. I think about that all the time and work hard everyday. I wait for my pitch in my zone, and that’s it”

It seems that in the 2003 World Series, the Florida Marlins’ pitchers made Sori appear to have a short memory.

The Yankees’ sagacious general manager Brian Cashman, a wise judge of talent who has brought the team players such as Javier Vazquez twice, Felix Rodriguez and Raul Mondesi, compared Soriano to Jeter at similar points in their careers.

“Jeter’s game was more refined and consistent, but he had two times as much experience. Jeter has power potential,” Cashman said. “Jeter has the ability to control the running game. Jeter has the ability to play excellent defense.

“But Alfonso has the explosive power, explosive speed. Derek is the typical five-tool player. I just think Sori’s tools are better. His ceiling might be a little higher than Derek’s in terms of raw ability.”

Soriano played second base for the 2002 Yankees. Cashman thought that he would become a great outfielder when he saw Soriano play left field during spring training.

“Within a week it was clear to us that he was out best defensive outfielder. No disrespect to Bernie.”

Okay folks, Soriano is a better outfielder than Bernie Williams, and Jason Giambi helped the Yankees more than Tino Martinez.

In 2004, Cashman traded Soriano to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Alex Rodriguez, and less than a year later, the Rangers sent Sori to the Washington Nationals.

Frank Robinson managed Washington. During spring training, 2006, Robinson made out a lineup card with Soriano, who had been exclusively a second baseman, as the left fielder. Soriano refused to take the field.

Alfonso Soriano is a good player who has never reached his full potential, despite having some outstanding seasons. He might have better tools than Derek Jeter, but old baseball scouts used to say that evaluating a player’s tools is the easy part.

The difficult part is determining what’s in a player’s heart.

References:

TYLER KEPNER. (2002, April 30). A Budding Star in the Bronx :A Budding Infield Star in the Bronx ‘I’m working hard because I want to be perfect.’. New York Times (1923-Current file),p. D1. Retrieved June 20, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 – 2006). (Document ID: 731561482).

Alfonso Soriano at Baseball Reference

Alfonso Soriano at Wikipedia

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