From TSN / SportsTicker :
Chicago radio station ESPN 1000 reported Sunday that the Cubs have signed outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year contract worth approximately $136 million.
I suppose I’m pleased he’s out of the NL East, not to mention wondering what kind of gaudy numbers Soriano will put up at Wrigley. Whether or not this latest development will come to bear on Pat Gillick’s insistence that Manny Ramirez is too big a headache for the Phillies to covet, remains to be seen. But I can’t deny the Cubs are a mere 3/4ths of a starting rotation away from being a contender in ’07.
There’s been some seriously heavy new entries over at Yard Work of late. Joyce Carol Oates picks supposed Yankee-target Shea Hillenbrand as her ’06 AL MVP. And not only has Tony La Russa ignored my suggestion of Jim Belushi to play him in the upcoming “Three Nights In August” film, but he has a similarly low opinion of a certain S.O.A. vocalist.
I will defer to Ben Schwartz and his take on how Soriano fits into the Cubs lineup and budget, but will say that I am happy the Phillies did not make this committment to Soriano.
Good thing Jim Bowden hung on to Soriano for those last two months of the season.