So Theo Baseball:

[waldo7239117]

Black was a key piece in Daytona winning the championship.

 

[SilenceS]

To what end? I'm also not trying to be antagonistic either but it's obvious the cubs wouldn't have made the playoffs with him this year. It's possible if he was this hot for the cubs like he has been in NY you could have moved him on waivers/off season for more but then he's also got a full no trade. And you can't know that he is going to get as hot as he did. He could have just as easily been what he was in the first 3 months of the season.

I suppose you could argue not to trade him at all but again I don't see the point because I doubt the 2014 cubs are any better record wise even with him. At this point, I'd honestly rather they threw Vitters out there and see what happens. Soriano makes a bad team marginally less bad at $18 mil/year. I'm surprised they didn't find a way to trade him this past off season especially after trying to move him at last year's deadline.

They are going to have to sign a 4th hitter next year so that was the point.

 

[SilenceS]

What's it matter if the cubs lose 90 games or lose 85? If there was a compelling argument that they could even squeak into the playoffs then fine, keep him but come on, this team has lost 90+ games over the last several years. They've already indicated via the media they don't plan to spend big in the off season. Soriano is the very definition of a sunk cost. At least try to salvage what you can(in this case $6 mil and a pitcher).

We don't know what Corey Black will be. He was 4-0 with a 2.88 ERA and 10.08 K/9 in Daytona. Let's not act like he was a 50th round pick. He was a 4th round selection. Papelbon, Jeremy Hellickson, Ricky Nolasco, Cliff Lee, C.J. Wilson, Jeff Samardzija, Chris Archer, Jake Arrieta, and Josh Johnson were all 4th/5th round pitchers since 2000. Even if he doesn't figure in their plans, he could very well be a piece in a trade later on like Archer was for Garza.

The $6 mil the cubs are saving could be used to front load a mid tier FA like they did with Jackson or they could use it to gamble on another guy like Feldman/Maholm/Schierholtz. In other words, no matter what they do, there is future value provided. Soriano provides them maybe a few more wins in 2014 but gets them no closer to winning a title. To make matters worse, he takes a spot in the lineup which in of itself has value. Maybe the cubs go out and plug in another guy like Schierholtz and hope to move him for more prospects at next years trade deadline. Maybe they let guys like Lake/Vitters/whomever play and see what they have.

Point is it was time to move on.

Can you please stop grouping players it holds no merit. Just because player A was like player B doesn't mean any player will be the same. They are individuals and hold nothing of the same skills. My point is to pay another team for Sorianos serives means nothing if you have no young player to take his spot. No junior lake will not play left because they have to sign a 4 hitter and he most likely will play left.

 

[SilenceS]

Now, if the Cubs decide to put Bryant or Baez out there I can understand but they aren't.

 

[beckdawg]

Can you please stop grouping players it holds no merit. Just because player A was like player B doesn't mean any player will be the same. They are individuals and hold nothing of the same skills. My point is to pay another team for Sorianos serives means nothing if you have no young player to take his spot. No junior lake will not play left because they have to sign a 4 hitter and he most likely will play left.

Why does it hold no merit? Nwfish's point was Corey Black was hardly anything. My point is that we don't know what he will be and it's not like he was a super late round pick. I think it's perfectly relevant to bring up a group of guys who were drafted around the same range of him and have made it to the majors with some success. I never said Black would be Josh Johnson or Cliff Lee but he very well could be that level of player. Showing players who were from the same level proves the point that you can find valuable players that late in the draft and it's not a guarantee that Black will never be worth Soriano.

 

[SilenceS]

Why does it hold no merit? Nwfish's point was Corey Black was hardly anything. My point is that we don't know what he will be and it's not like he was a super late round pick. I think it's perfectly relevant to bring up a group of guys who were drafted around the same range of him and have made it to the majors with some success. I never said Black would be Josh Johnson or Cliff Lee but he very well could be that level of player. Showing players who were from the same level proves the point that you can find valuable players that late in the draft and it's not a guarantee that Black will never be worth Soriano.

I can show a lot more who became nothing then have made it, but what would that prove. He is not them. He is him.