As the season comes to an end, LF Alfonso Soriano decides to complain about an situation now and it’s about his position in the batting order. Soriano told ESPNChicago.com that he does not like batting low in the order, manly 7th.
Alfonso Soriano’s exact words to ESPNChicago were…
“I’m not a guy that fights with people,” Soriano told ESPNChicago.com. “The way they treat me this year, I don’t like it. The way they have me hit in the No. 7, 5 and 6 spots, I have trouble concentrating on the job hitting in those different spots. But (Mike) Quade is the manager and does his best to try to make the team better.”
Soriano does make sense to an extent as he has helped the Cubs to back to back playoffs and has played pretty good through out the first 5 years out of an 8 year contract. However, Soriano has not produced after a hot first month. If he wants to bat higher in the line-up, he has to produce with his power and driving in runners. But that has not been there this year.
Did Alfonso Soriano talked his way out of being a Cub? I have a hard time seeing that because of the Carlos Zambrano saga. Carlos Zambrano is unlikely to return…due to his latest meltdown. As Tom Ricketts said he has an hard time imagining Zambrano returning to the club in ’12. When asked the question on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball a few weeks back. If this past season was any indication, the Cubs will release Zambrano and pay his whole contract. As the Cubs had a hard time trading him. Which means the likely hood of the Cubs releasing 2 high paid baseball players is not high.
Soriano was asked if he has played his final days with the Cubs and he said; I don’t think about that at all.” “That’s up to the new general manager. I just concentrate on playing right now. After the season I’ll go back to the Dominican and think about what’s best for me, but that’s after they decide what they want to do.”
If Alfonso Soriano was not to be in Cubbie blue next year, the Cubs do have options that can take place:
1) The Cubs can call up top prospect OF Brett Jackson.
2) Sign or trade for an OF.
3) Keep Brian LaHair up and give him the starting role in LF.
4) Give Tyler Colvin another chance as a starter.
If I had to chose 2 of the 4 options, I would go with #1 and #2. Brett Jackson will play CF, Byrd will move to RF or LF and the new acquisition will play either RF or LF. I don’t think LaHair is a major league starter and same goes with Colvin after his freak incident when he got hit by the bat.
At the end, I think Soriano should be quiet and finish out the season on the strongest note possible. Also, he should bat where ever as he makes 18M per year. His contract should be the main reason for not complaining. He’s not the same player he once was and is on a decline. Soriano has to accept that and live with it. Finally, I do think Soriano will be a Cub next year because of the Zambrano situation. If the same occurs and a team still does not want him.
What do y’all think, will he be a Cub next year and was he wrong to complain?
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