Rangers trade Soriano to Nationals for three players

anyone ask themselves why? the rangers already have dellucci, matthews jr., and mench.

 

They've been shopping Mench.

 

and the nationals have vidro and someone else at 2B. i don't get it.

 

It seems Soriano would have to play outfield for Nationals. As for Rangers, they clear some salary and could have more money to pursue good pitching. Mench, matthews will be gone soon.

 

Soriano was just going to leave after the year is over and the Rangers didn't want to let him walk away and get nothing in return. His value has sunk way low; yet still I would have gave him a chance this year and traded him midseason to see if his value would go up at all.

 

I always thought Soriano was opposed to moving to the outfield...For the Rangers, I think its good...

 

i don't have a problem with trading soriano if you are the rangers but again, they don't get anything near the value of the player in return....the rangers are morons. that better one darn good pitching prospect because wilkerson and sledge are above average major leaguers, and you gave up an all-star with a great bat.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2253650

Soriano: 'I'm not going to change from second base'

ESPN.com news services

If the Nationals acquired Alfonso Soriano to move him to the outfield, as has been speculated, they might be in for a rude awakening.

In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Soriano reiterated a position he maintained while with the Rangers: He's not moving from second base.

"I have the same position [on moving] as I always had when I was with Texas," Soriano told the newspaper. "I said that I'm not going to change from second base."

Although he said he hasn't spoken with anyone from the Nationals, Soriano told the Star-Telegram that he believes the club traded for him to play second base.

"I think that if they traded for me, it's to play second base," he told the newspaper.

However, Washington already has a past All-Star at second base in Jose Vidro, though he was hampered by leg problems last season that limited him to 87 games.

Soriano has been reluctant in the past to switch positions. When he was acquired by Texas in the February 2004 trade that sent AL MVP Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees, Soriano remained at second base and Michael Young moved to shortstop, where he became an All-Star.

Soriano was traded by the Rangers to the Nationals on Wednesday night for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge and a minor league pitcher.

Since the Nationals traded two outfielders in the deal, it would make sense that the club would want Soriano to play in the outfield. But Soriano wants none of that talk.

"Obviously, I have the control. Of course I'm not going to play the outfield," he told the Star-Telegram.

With a rare combination of power and speed, Soriano has been one of the most productive infielders in the majors the past four years. He hit .268 with 36 homers, 104 RBI and 30 stolen bases last season, when he earned $7.5 million.

Eligible for arbitration, he almost certainly will get a substantial raise next year, and he can become a free agent after the 2006 season. He is a .283 career hitter with 162 home runs.

Soriano gives the Nationals the dynamic offensive player they desperately want. Washington finished last in the majors in batting average (.252), slugging percentage (3.86), runs (3.94 per game) and homers (117), along with an NL-low 45 stolen bases.

 

a-ha. whatever respect i once may have had for soriano is almost completely gone now. play ball.


SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- A week after the Washington Nationals acquired him from the Texas Rangers, Alfonso Soriano still doesn't want to move to the outfield from second base.

Alfonso Soriano
Second Base
Washington Nationals

Profile
2005 SEASON STATISTICS
GM HR RBI R OBP AVG
156 36 104 102 .309 .268


Jose Vidro, a three-time All-Star, starts at second for Washington, and Nationals general manager Jim Bowden hopes to shift Soriano from second, where he's a four-time All-Star.

"I don't want to change," Soriano said Monday night at a dinner held for major league players by Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernandez. "If I haven't done it before, I won't do it now."

Soriano said he had a greater comfort level in the AL, and he plans to become a free agent after next season and sign with an AL team.

"I knew the pitchers and batters of opposing teams and, therefore, where to place myself defensively. In the National that's going to take me a while," he said.

Soriano, who is eligible for salary arbitration, is likely to earn about $10 million next year. He was obtained from Texas for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge, and pitcher Armando Galarraga.

"He's such a great athlete that he's able to play other positions," Bowden said last week. "He could play center, he could play left."

 

Then the Rangers turned Sledge, Adrian Gonzalez (1B), and Chris Young (RHP)into Adam Eaton (RHP), Akinori Otsuka (RHP), and a prospect, Billy Killian.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2266394

I wish the Astros could've got in on Eaton. He's looking for a 3-year, $27 million deal though. He put up good numbers (24 starts, 11-5, 4.27 100:44 ratio), and would be able to slide in nicely behind Oswalt and Pettitte.

 

hell, for the Rangers that's a staff ace!

 

I wonder if the Nationals knew beforehand how adamant Soriano was about not moving from 2B... I mean, everyone here knew it. It was brought up every time someone proposed a trade for him. Maybe they just didn't care and figured they could force him into it, and they might still be able to. Personally, I hope this turns into a Terrell Owens type fiasco for the Nationals. That would be fun to watch.