When age caught up to the year-old Soriano in , the Yankees designated him for assignment that July. Alfonso Soriano ended his career with a. Soriano stole bases — though he only had one double-digit stolen base season after his age year — and retired with an even. The two easy knocks against Alfonso Soriano are his lack of postseason success, and his free-swinging tendencies.
Two of those home runs came in the playoffs, including a famous go-ahead homer in Game 7 of the World Series. Soriano went just 3-for in six playoff games with the Cubs in and Chicago went and was swept out of the National League Division Series both years. Alfonso Soriano rarely reached base by way of a walk. He had 46 homers and 41 stolen bases last season with the Washington Nationals. He batted. We felt those dollars were better utilized in other ways.
The Post's source indicated that the Cubs did something the Nationals would not do: grant Soriano a no-trade clause. Chicago has been looking for a center fielder after Juan Pierre filed for free agency. All this activity comes as the team's parent company, Tribune Co. And the Cubs may not be through. They've made no secret they'd like to bolster their starting rotation behind ace Carlos Zambrano , especially with the health of Mark Prior still a question mark.
But offensively, the addition of Soriano gives Chicago the punch that could make the Cubs contenders in the NL Central as he joins a lineup that includes Ramirez and Derrek Lee in homer-friendly Wrigley Field. He's a tremendous player. Primarily a second baseman during a career that began with the New York Yankees in , the year-old Soriano made the switch to left field last season, his first and only one in Washington.
Soriano played his first five seasons in New York and then was traded to the Texas Rangers in the deal that brought Rodriguez to the Yankees. Soriano was dealt again two seasons later to the Nationals in a trade that sent outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge plus a minor league pitcher to the Rangers.
When he joined the Nationals, Soriano was switched to the outfield because Washington already had Jose Vidro at second. It was a move Soriano initially rejected. But gradually he became comfortable with the switch and made an All-Star team for the fifth straight season, this time at his new position. Soriano even led the league with 22 outfield assists. Soriano is a. In , he became the fourth player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season.
Skip to main content Skip to navigation. Carrie Muskat of MLB. According to ESPN. The fact that Soriano was still a Cub for so long into Hoyer and Epstein's regime was a bit of a surprise.
At first, the duo seemed eager to shed Soriano's contract, much like they did with fire-breathing pitcher Carlos Zambrano, but after getting to know the outfielder better, they decided to hold onto him for a while longer. The team's shift in attitude was perfectly summed up by Sveum, who had this to say about Soriano after news of his departure broke:. Even with that deep appreciation for Soriano as a player, his departure comes as little surprise to observers of the North Siders, as Soriano told the media Wednesday that the Yankees were one of the teams that he would accept a trade to.
In those comments, Soriano admitted that his aspirations for one last chance at a World Series ring was the ultimate decide r. I am 37, so I'd like one mor echance to go to the World Series.
I've tried to be a champion here, but now it seems I have to do that for another team. Soriano was on the verge of being traded twice last season, at one point vetoing a trade that would have sent him to the eventual World Champion San Francisco Giants.
0コメント