Cubs Should Offer Alfonso Soriano to the Dodgers - A Bleacher Report Article

The Dodgers desperately need a bat, any bat, to help them score runs.
The Cubs desperately need to unload veteran contracts and need a deep pocketed trade partner.

In my latest for Bleacher Report, I argue that Alfonso Soriano could be the Recess Peanut Butter Cup combination that both teams need.

You can read the article HERE.

This is a trade the Cubs WISHED they made

Last winter I proposed that three teams work together and swap albatross contracts. It was along the lines of what the Mariners and Cubs did in swapping Milton Bradley for Carlos Silva.

The mega mistake deal I proposed included yet another behemoth contract that the Cubs shelled out. (Doesn’t that tell you something? That maybe front office mistakes have more to do with the Cubs not winning than a Billy Goat or poor Steve Bartman!)

I suggested that the Cubs take their disgruntled and underachieving one time superstar Alfonso Soriano and ship him off in a three team trade. The Giants would unload their disappointing erstwhile ace Barry Zito and the Blue Jays would send one time face of the franchise Vernon Wells out of town.

The thought process was maybe they all need a change of scenery. Maybe a change could jolt their careers. Maybe going to a ballpark where the fans shake their head at the very mention of your name could be a bit much.

In my deal the Cubs would send Soriano to the Giants.
The Giants would send Zito to Toronto.
The Blue Jays would then send Wells to Wrigley.

I bet the Cubs wished they pulled off that deal.

Wells is off to a fast start in Toronto with 6 homers, an average of .340 and an OPS of 1.224.

Zito is mowing down batters left and right with a 2-0 record, an ERA of 1.86 and a .176 batting average against, giving the Giants a chance to think maybe the signing wasn’t a complete mistake.

And Soriano… ooof.
There’s talk of benching him.
His contract is no considered to be the worst in baseball.
He is vilified in Wrigley.

And there’s not a lot of places where they can ship him off.

Not to get all Presidential on you Cubs fans… but when you see Soriano next, just think to yourself “FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!”

If they ever find a place to ship Soriano the Cubs won’t be done dealing yet.

Kosuke Fukudome is still cashing a paycheck

Sully Baseball Presents ANOTHER BLOCK BUSTER TRADE THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BUT PROBABLY WON'T

Bernie Taupin and Elton John said it best in “Honky Cat”… a change is going to do me good.



Sometimes a change can do a ballplayer some good. Sometimes a player is simply stuck in a bad place and changing to another team could awaken the star player within



Three World Series MVPs were players that were considered damaged good before they changed addresses and were revived. (Dave Stewart, Scott Brosius and Mike Lowell.)



Other players just have excessive expectations and can’t meet their potential until they switch uniforms and help a team to the World Series title. (Jose Contreras and Jeff Weaver come to mind.)



Which brings me to insane multiteam trade #2 of the Winter Meetings that should take place.



Earlier today I proposed a 9 team deal that basically shuffles a bunch of bad contracts around.



Well now I am suggesting that three of the whopper, gigantic, unmovable, GMs have been fired for less contracts should be swapped for each other.

The Giants deal Barry Zito
and his $83 million contract over 4 seasons to the Blue Jays

The Blue Jays deal Vernon Wells
and his $98.5 million contract over 4 seasons to the Cubs

The Cubs deal Alfonso Soriano
and his $95 million contract over 5 seasons to the Giants

The Giants bring in Soriano, a player who at one point in his career looked like an MVP candidate… but is coming off of injuries, terrible defense, and not exactly endearing himself to the Chicago faithful.Soriano gets a fresh start and could move to first base and protect Pablo Sandoval. And they wouldn’t have to give up any young pitching talent.



The Blue Jays would get Zito, a starting pitcher to fill the inevitable void left by the Roy Halladay deal. Plus Zito had much more success in the AL than the NL… go figure. And as big as Zito’s contract is, it is would actually SAVE the Blue Jays nearly $5 million a season compared to Wells.



The Cubs get Wells, a player who before his giant contract was a Gold Glover with power and was considered to be one of the good guys in the game. Maybe he would relax in Wrigley and regain his power stroke and defense. And if it doesn’t comeback, his contract is a year shorter than Soriano’s.



So once again, your pal Sully has the right idea… you can’t get out from a crappy contract. But maybe a DIFFERENT crappy contract can make the difference?



How can it be worse than seeing these guys sit miserably in their current dugouts for the next 4 or 5 years?



Sing it, Elton!!!

That didn't take long!

Well, I got a lot of flack for NOT going along with everyone else who think the Cubs are World Series bound.

It took Alfonso Soriano exactly 2 pitches to send Sully Baseball a message.

It's only one game... but the Cubs looked good.

(Although when Gregg struggled with that save at the end, I did get that Nostrodamus rush.)