Just an idea with soriano

by Glacier on Dec 29, 2006 12:07 PM CST

Im sure ill get some sort of shit for this but. Why not let soriano play second. keep jones in right murton left and derosa and eventually pie in center. i know sorianos defense is an absolute joke. but wrigley has one of the hardest right fields in baseball how is soriano gonna handle that? but i figure with isturis at short d lee at first and well aram is bad defensivly anymore, that soriano wont be such a big liability at second as most people think.

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Soriano

He should play CF, certainly over RF. He has the speed to cover CF and as you alluded to, right field at Wrigley is perhaps the toughest in the majors.

DmL

by dmlichte on Dec 29, 2006 12:09 PM CST reply actions

Soriano's value would be at its peak at 2B...

...and Lee would be a help for at least some of his errant throws.

But we signed DeRosa for 2B. So I don't see how Soriano could be our 2B.

As far as where he should play once you eliminate 2B, CF gets my vote as well, the other position on the diamond where the improvement represents a substantial one offensively.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:13 PM CST reply actions

soriano's

value is only highest at second base if we sign a true right fielder to replace him in the outfield, someone with 25-45 home run power. if we just shift the lineup around and move derosa to right and soriano to second, sori's value actually goes down because the overall team offense doesn't change, but the overall team defense suffers considerably.
since the cubs, unless they trade jones, aren't going to sign a big right fielder, soriano should stay in teh outfield, imo.

i would prefer to have jones in center and sori in right. jones is athletic enough to play center, and his erratic arm is better suited for center. sori isn't an ideal right fielder, and right field at wrigley is difficult to play, but i think his arm is better enough than jones' to make it a worthwhile switch.

DEJESUS!!!

by tomas21 on Dec 29, 2006 12:46 PM CST up reply actions

Keep Jones in RF...

...offensively he was better than plenty of other RFs in 2006.

I was speaking as if DeRosa wasn't on the team or was likely to play where he belongs, that being said, as a platoon partner for Jones in RF and spot starter everywhere else.

If I had my way, Soriano would be at 2B, Jones would stay in RF and platoon with DeRosa, and Pie would start in CF and the only other move left would be to find a suitable backup for him.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:56 PM CST up reply actions

Jones in center...

I agree with you, I have been saying this for awhile. Wrigley is not a big park and Jones has the fielding ability for center. When we play in Coors or Pac Bell, Pagan may have to get some playing time in center. If Pie isn't ready Jones can handle his portion of a platoon in center.

"Harlem Furniture......You'll like our style!"

by Imtrejo on Dec 29, 2006 9:08 PM CST up reply actions

didnt

a-ram have one of his best defensive seasons last year??? and soriano should play left i think.

by tbizzle83 on Dec 29, 2006 12:15 PM CST reply actions

whither Murton then?

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:29 PM CST up reply actions

maybe right`

i think soriano will have way too many problems in right. i kind of like the idea of murton soriano jones. but do you think he can play ceter??

by tbizzle83 on Dec 29, 2006 12:32 PM CST up reply actions

leave Murton where he is...

...there is no reason to make him switch positions.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:35 PM CST up reply actions

C'mon...

If 'Slammin' Sammy can play RF...I think Soriano will be okay.

by raalic17 on Dec 29, 2006 3:01 PM CST up reply actions

Sammy was actually a quality defensive RF...

...for a number of years before he hit his mid 30s.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 3:44 PM CST up reply actions

i think

i think he will be fine in center i mean he does have the speed and all but at the same time he would only be there for a year and then move back to right when pie is ready. pie is better defensivly so when or if he is ready he will get center and soriano would have to switch to another new position which is ridiculous.

by Glacier on Dec 29, 2006 12:37 PM CST reply actions

CF Seems Logical

To answer your question, Soriano was never a particularly good second baseman and, as others have pointed out, DeRosa appears to be management's choice for that position.

I agree with DmL that, assuming we retain Jacque Jones, putting Soriano in center seems the most logical choice. Here are few reasons why:

Jones has a year of experienice playing Wrigley's very difficult right field, so why put that to waste?
Soriano clearly has the speed to cover center and, unless I'm mistaken, his arm strength is actually better than Juan Pierre's.
Soriano could play there this year while Pie gets a little more seasoning in Triple A, and then we could trade Jones next season, put Soriano in right and move Pie into center. (Or we could trade Jones and promote Pie mid-season and put Soriano in right at that point).

Having said all of this, Lou Piniella has indicated pretty clearly that Soriano will play a corner position. What he hasn't clearly indicated is why this is.

I didn't have the ball, bitch!

by daver on Dec 29, 2006 12:39 PM CST reply actions

it could have to do with Soriano's...

...preference to stay at one position next year and beyond, which is understandable.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:45 PM CST up reply actions

re: it could have to do with Soriano's...

Good point. Piniella has stated that Soriano specifically requested to be put at one position and left there. So that kinda kills my idea of putting him in center and moving him to right midseason.

I'm not sure whether he'd agree to playing center all of this season and moving back to right in '08, but it seems doubtful that the Cubs could guarantee he'd stay in center this year given all of the unknowns in play.

Sooooo, I guess, under the current lineup, I'd just flip-flop Jones and Soriano and have at it. I have a funny feeling, though, that Jones will be traded before opening day and that Pie will be brought up sooner rather than later.

And, for the record, I too would like to see Matt Murton and his high OBP stay in left field and bat second.

I didn't have the ball, bitch!

by daver on Dec 29, 2006 1:18 PM CST up reply actions

"his arm strength is actually better

than Juan Pierre's"

Well, my nephew has better arm strength, and he's 6.

by Scott @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Dec 29, 2006 12:55 PM CST up reply actions

correct me if I'm wrong but Soriano...

...lead the league in assists last year and much of it had to do I think with teams thinking they could run on his arm, and they found out they couldn't.

PINIELLA!

by theprognosticator on Dec 29, 2006 12:59 PM CST up reply actions

Exactly

The original poster saying that Soriano has a better arm than Juan Pierre isn't a ringing endorsement. Hence, the comment about my nephew also having a stronger arm than Juan Pierre.

by Scott @ Bleed Cubbie Blue on Dec 29, 2006 1:12 PM CST up reply actions

DeRosa in CF?

Well, if you want to put someone in a key defensive position who has never played it, not once, at the major league level, go ahead.

I'd be OK with the idea of DeRosa in RF when Jones sits vs. tough lefties and Theriot can get some 2B starts.

But CF, if it's not Pie or another pickup, should be Soriano (assuming Jones is not traded).

by Al Yellon on Dec 29, 2006 1:05 PM CST reply actions

I've said it before

but I think Soriano should be given CF if Jones isn't traded, and I don't think Jones SHOULD be traded. He should stay in RF, with a platoon with DeRosa, or even Preston or Craig Wilson. After all, JJ would still get 3/4 of the ABs because most pitchers are righties and JJ does quite well against them. a Jones/RH platoon in RF and Murton/Floyd platoon in LF (depth is on Piniella's agenda) along with Soriano in CF would be a very productive OF. The cubs wouldn't suffer too badly defensively in that scenerio. I hope JJ is not traded. If Hendry could pull off a trade that would improve that, I'm all for it, but I'm skeptical that it would happen. I think Hendry will end up giving Jones away for nothing and thus would be a big mistake.

by cashcowsquirtingsourmilk on Dec 29, 2006 9:46 PM CST reply actions