Now let's move to Carlos Zambrano.

The Cubs need to spot someone else in leadoff. In house options are Murton, DeRosa, or Theroit. They won't steal many bases, but as long as they get on in fornt of Lee, Ramirez, and Soriano who cares?

My opening day lineup for 2007 (as of now):

LF Murton
2B DeRosa
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
CF Soriano
C Barrett
RF Jones
SS Theroit (i don;t know if he's ever played short)
P Zambrano

That's a potent lineup.

I still want the Cubs to persue Lugo, but with the size of Soriano's cintract, and the need to sign at least one starting pitcher, I don't know.

By the way, what's the deal with Theriot?  With DeRosa on board now and Izturis signed for another year at $4,150,000, is Theriot now a backup?  Or is he trade bait?  Or, I hope, will he be given the chance to win the job at 2B still?

Any word on pitchers? Meche?

"The Chicago Cubs will be altering the previous statement on ticket prices.  We did not believe that the quality of product on the field would increase from the 06 season, and did not want to face a angry hoard weilding torches by increasing prices.  However, completely by accident, a quality free agent was signed and we now feel safe.  So all seat prices will now increase 15%, season ticket holders will recieve a revised invoice shortly.

Thanks and Go Cubs"

phat

The Yankees have been rumored to be interested in Jones, especially with Sheffield gone now.  Don't know what we'd trade for though....

Putting Soriano at 2B would allow DeRosa to be a strong option off of the bench to spell A-Ram, Soriano, OF, etc.

Thoughts?  I'm sure some will say we didn't spend $4M+/yr on a bench player-but Lou did say he wanted a strong bench.

Soriano also is likely to play a corner OF spot. Seems Bruce Miles nailed that one.

Sounds like we're still in the market for a CF.

Also said DeRosa would play at 2B for now, but would also be around the diamond as well as the season progressed. Sounds like Theriot will get plenty of PT.

Sounds like Murton is gone.

No way the Cubs will land Johan Santana :)

Anyway, good move and good contract, 'IF' the 7th and 8th years are option years.

However, this might not last forever...with Pie about a year away, Soriano (depending on how he does in CF) could shift back to LF or 2B in another year or two...

He's a versatile enough talent and ought to be for that kinda money!!

Jones probably won't resign or even last 2 full years and Murton might not be long-term LF...I was NOT impressed with his defense/arm esp...if he hits 20+ HR however and keeps his on-base pctg. up there, could be a keeper.

The biggest problem with lineup is so right-sided, but with Milwaukee, Pitt and some other teams in league having lotta lefty starters, it might not be so bad...

Pagan is a sleepr as bench/role player like his speed occasional power; could blossom if ever gets a chance to play regularly (an injury for example). Their other spare OF is DeRosa I guess and maybe (I hate to mention) Bynum.

Or else I'll just add him next to PINIELLA! for mine.

Plus, now that we have added a big offensive player in Soriano, we won't need as much offensive production from Pie (in his rookie season, I will be that Pie will put up similar offensive metrics as Juan Pierre anyway) and he can hit at the bottom of the line-up (having Soriano lead-off also hopefully ends the idea of having Pie lead off).

Pie in CF makes Jacque Jones part of a possible trade that could bring in a good starting pitcher (trading Jones doesn't seem so impossible now with him coming off of a good season and with only two years left on a reasonable contract).

Sounds WAY far fetched to me, but I can't find Hot Stove Cubbies.  Assuming this is a joke????

Fun to think about though......then we trade Jacque for pitching and sign a lower tier pitcher.

http://cubsrumorsandnews.blogspot.com/

Take it for what it's worth.  We'll see if it's true (Drew) tomorrow I guess.  

I would think others would be reporting this.....

How much you want to bet that A-Rod is on the phone to Lou begging him to get him to Chicago ASAP?

The Cubs are apparently going to spend madly, and the Soriano contract is mad given his age and well, the likelihood that he never puts up another year close to 2006 again?  But if the Cubs are finally going to blow it out, in order to fetch that huge sale price, then don't stop now--we still need 2 legitimate starters, keep the bank vault open, baby and extend Z NOW!!!!!!

But beyond that, the first three or four years should be a lot of fun.

Now bring on Westbrook and Meche! And don't give up on Wells!

 That of course after 3 months of reading his sig as...

FORGET SORIANO, ZITO, MATSAUZUKA AND SCHMIDT, IT'S MORE LIKE WOOD, EATON and A BACKUP INSTEAD!

 I noticed he's not around tonight. And of course, Mike63 who said we're just going to sign Cliff Floyd.....

 Go Jim Spendry. Let's go get a pitcher.

I think she deserves to decide what happens to it.

And don't anybody start a PINIELLAPHANT! either.

If Hendry could somehow add Drew and Zito I would be ecstatic.  I still don't think it will happen but right now I'm not giving up on anything after what's already happened.  Hendry has proven that.  And just for the record I'd like to say that I was one of the few that hadn't give up on Hendry quite yet.

Trade Jones and Eyre/Ohman for Westbrook, throw in a young guy if necessary.  I'll even say that Meche/Lilly/Padilla, at the right price, aren't that bad of options now that we have an offense worthy of mentioning.

I'm still not a big Soriano fan but now that he's here I'll back off of the "overrated" talk and support him and hope he does well.  I still think Drew is a better investment but Soriano does add talent and raise the level of play so I'm happy that he's here.  Way overpaid but we can deal with the backend of his contract when the time comes.

I'm glad that the Cubs are finally spending money like they should be.  They are a high revenue team and are acting like it.  Let's hope Jim addresses the pitching in the same way he has addressed the offense.

I could go on but I'll stop here.  Things are looking up, let's hope there is more good news to come.

Not my grandmother's men-in-blue.  God awfully long contract, however.  Yippee!  Now it's time for some pitching, Hendry!

Apparently "overpaying" DeRosa didn't block the signing of Sori.  So glad to see McFail gone.

Atlanta is definitely needed to retool after their pretty amazing 14-year playoff run.  Andruw Jones been around forever but he is only 29 years old and already a NINE-time Gold Glove.  And he's a Scott Boras client, and Hendry and Boras actually get along.

Boras has said that Jones is not going to waive his no trade clause and play out 2007 in Atlanta, but I can't imagine that the Braves will want to lose him for nothing.  If the Cubs can get Jones to agree to a deal, I could see them making the Braves take Jacque Jones and Cesar Izturis' deals along with Pie and a young pitcher or two.

Jones only had 4 assists last year, but that's because, like Dave Winfield and Roberto Clemente before him, nobody is stupid enough to run on his arm any more.  He had 48 assists in his first three full years with the Braves.  He's been a very consistent hitter for the last five years.

He'd probably have to get the same 8/136 contract as Soriano... or maybe he'd be wiling to take 4/68 with the same kind of opt-out deal that Ramirez had for after the 2008 season.

Alfonso got... 136 million over 8 years
              5th largest contract in MLB History

Umm, even?   who knows, while in wrigley he could go 40/40 again...

But between Matsuzaka (51 million, 12 million more than next bid) and now this (previous estimates were  7 years (maybe 6) for 100-120 million), we're seeing a ridiculous bit of inflation in contacts this year. The Ramirez one was tame in comparison.

Not complaining (I like the addition of Soriano), but merely thinking it's just more fuel for the fires burning in cities where the whole payroll is like 40 million.

So, is Drew off the table? Lugo? Wells (surely)? Does Hendry now pick up 2 middle of the rotation guys, or still aim high?

I guess I'll go read some comments and find out.

This is exciting. I hoped the Cubs would blow him away and prevent a bidding war. Here's to a happy and even better Soriano in Wrigley.

I'm still in denial about the Cubs pulling the trigger on a major free agent signing. I guess that trigger is on a .357 magnum and not a popgun after all.

Yes,this changes everything. One small point: we are now so right-handed in the batting order we really can't afford to dump Jones, and I sure don't want us to dump Murton. This leaves a problem in filling the outfield unless those two platoon in left and we bring in an outfielder with a genuine throwing arm to play right. The other option is Felix Pie for center and shift Soriano and his good arm to right.

Pitching. Starting pitching is still our achilles heel. There is little of value in the free agent market except for Zito, but if we can trade for a starter or two without ruining the bullpen, I say go for it. I really think we are a #2 starter away from blowing out the opposition in the NL central.

Speaking of the opposition, I haven't seen a comment from any of the Cardinal, Astro, or Brewer bloggers on any oof the Cubs blogs tonight. Looks like Hendry shut them up right proper.

On a slightly more serious note, as a kid (I was born there) I was a Yankees fan. I remembered when they won the '77 WS and Reggie Jackson hit 3 HR to win it. Noticed looking at the box score for that Game Six: playin LF for the Dodgers - Dusty Baker.  playing LF for the Yanks - Lou Piniella.  Little did they know what awaited them 26 and 30 yrs later, respectively.

Anyway, this is my 2 cents on the Cubs lineup:

2b - The Riot
rf - Murton
Cf - Soriano
1b - D Lee
3b - A Ram
lf - Garciapparra (wants to come back & make good)
ss - tejada (in trade for some of below players)
c - blanco (takes over everyday, we trade barrett)

we'll trade barret, jones, cedeno, izturis, pie...

starting rotation
p - zambrano
p - hill
p - wade miller -- huge comeback, wins 15
p - prior - gets it together, wins 18
p - glavine or clemens (got a feeling here on one of the old guys coming in to save the day)

i also feel it is possible Dontrelle will come back somehow in some great act of karma

finally, i am thrilled about soriano, and having a 40/40 man in the lineup.  perhaps with a few different moves, we can match this team: http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SDP/1980.shtml as the only one in history with 3 men with 50+ SB's.

Hendry's head might be officially out of his ass

unless he doesn't get any pitching

Bravo Jim

"Well, well, well. For all of you who constantly complained that the Cubs never signed a top-tier, big-name free agent, now they have done so."

only took how long? well deserved criticism.

At least twice a year, friends and i fly (Chicago from Orlando) in the morning, go to wrigley, and fly home that night. So why should things be different for the Bears...... So there i am today in the men's room at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands... about mid 3rd Q (right after Bradley's TD) AND i hear some drunk bears fan say, "We signed Soriano." Confused.. i walked away, thinking the bears?? what??? As i returned to my seat, my friend had his blackberry out and confirmed it!

It was an awesome day for chicago fans! Let's lock up a pitcher and start the season!!!

Oh, and JETS fans... J... E... T... S... SUCKS! SUCKS! SUCKS! (I shouldn't be surprised, most Jets fans are Mets fans!!!)

What is even more stunning was how rapid these signing have been coming now.

My new signature is:

THE FONZ HAS ARRIVED!

Where can I buy my Cubbie Soriano jersey?

Next up....Jason Marquis....

And could someone explain to me why you would bat one of your potential home run leaders at lead off?

Note to Jim Hendry: Thanks for the signing Jim! Next time, let's shoot for a Saturday night! lol

No, seriously, this is awsome. One year ago, if someone would have told me J.H. sign a player to this kind of contract, I would have fallen over laughing. Before this, anything over 5 years seemed out of the question. And $136 MM?? Way to go, Jim! This has been a dream start to an offseason. I just can't wait to see what's next!