On Soriano and Vidro
Both Jose Vidro and Alfonso Soriano had their mugs in the press this week, re-igniting plenty of speculation about how these two second basemen will be used on the field by the Nationals in 2006.
First, Soriano was introduced to the media Thursday morning, accompanied by Frank Robinson and Jim Bowden. Smiles were all around, but any direct discussion of Soriano playing in the outfield was skirted. Soriano is slated to play second base in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and will therefore begin spring training by working out in the infield, further postponing any confirmations about where he'll be playing this season with the Nats.
I've written a little bit about "The Soriano Situation". Overall, it's a trade that I've had misgivings about from the start. I did like seeing Bowden go after a strong bat, but I have not been impressed with Soriano's attitude about a position shift.* Yes, he was an All-Star at second base, but is Soriano the only one who hasn't taken a close look at his fielding stats in recent years? He's mediocre at the 2nd bag at best. If I remember correctly, Soriano was signed by the Yankees to backup Chuck Knoblauch at second and play some left field.
Then there's the bat. Soriano has had some excellent success at the plate, though his BA has declined every year for the past three straight. At the same time, he managed 104 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 2005. Also, his walks went up while his strikeouts went down. What about ball park factors? Ameriquest Field in Arlington, TX is known as a hitter's park, while RFK is certainly a pitcher's park with it's big outfield. It's likely that Soriano's offensive stats will take a hit in DC, but no one will deny that the Nats need his kind of potency in their offense.
Jose Vidro has always been one of my favourite Expos/Nationals players. He's been a whiz at second base and has had very strong offensive seasons–when he's not on the DL. If Vidro gets hurt this year, Bowden will be praised for having acquired Soriano. The thing is, Vidro is claiming that he's in the best shape he's been in since 2002, and he is pain free in his knee for the first time since 2003. From the sounds of it, Vidro is valiently working toward a comeback year.
Now we're back to the quandary: how will Nationals brass keep both Vidro and Soriano happy when both want to be the starting second baseman?
A month ago today, rumors surfaced in the Washington Post that the Nationals were looking to trade Soriano. Bowden appeared to be interested in Austin Kearns and Willy Mo Pena of the Reds, but it was very unclear about which clubs might be interested in Soriano. In a recent "Mailbag" column, Nats beat reporter Bill Ladson clearly opposed the notion of a Soriano trade:
"The Nationals should not trade Soriano for two reasons. One, they need his bat in the worse way. Remember, this team finished last in runs scored last year and finished near the bottom the year before. And, two, let's see how he responds after he talks to Robinson. Soriano might change his tune. I said this before–let's not prejudge Soriano until he arrives in camp. I agree that if the Nationals are out of the National League East race by June, the Nationals should trade Soriano for prospects, which they desperately need."
Do I have reservations about Soriano? You bet. Do I have concerns about Vidro's health? I'd have to be living in la-la land not to. There's no way to tell how this will all play out, so I suppose we're just going to have to sit back and enjoy the ride.
For more opinions about what might happen with Soriano and Vidro, have a look at Capital Punishment's post, Vidro For Sale Edition.
* Some players need to adopt an attitude like that of Marlon Anderson. In the last three years, the second baseman has learned to play first base and the outfield. This year, he is willing to learn to play third base so that he can occassionally sub in for rookie Ryan Zimmerman. "Zimmerman is a right-handed hitter and he may need a day off sometimes," the left-handed-hitting Anderson said. "Why not play a little third base? I'm a jack of all trades." Similarly, minor league infielder Kory Casto has adopted a healthy attitude towards position shifts. Due to Zimmerman's success at third base, the Nationals are switching Casto from third to second. This will be the second position switch for Casto, who was drafted by the Expos in 2003 as an outfielder, then switched to third base the following season. "It's just another tool in my bag," Castro said. "That's creating value for myself." I wonder if Soriano is listening…?
