Imagine: 2009 minus Soriano

[jeffy]

<!--quoteo(post=62842:date=Sep 12 2009, 09:34 PM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Sep 12 2009, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Would I trade Soriano for Lee? Yes. But it's ridiculous to pretend that one is a disaster and the other would be a savior. You would have pretty much all of the same problems with Lee, they'd only be slightly less bad.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm not saying he'd be a savior, but I think it's safe to say we would be a better team, and that's all that really matters. Like I said, if we had Lee, I don't think we'd be talking about wanting to get rid of him (at least not yet anyway) or complaining about his salary, but a lot of us would love to get rid of Soriano simply because of his inconsistency, and we are complaining about his salary because he hasn't earned it this year, but Lee has. However, maybe Soriano will have a superstar year in 2010 and we'll all be in love with him again. At this point, all we can do is wait and see.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=62842:date=Sep 12 2009, 09:34 PM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Sep 12 2009, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=62816:date=Sep 12 2009, 03:24 PM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ Sep 12 2009, 03:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=62810:date=Sep 12 2009, 02:40 PM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Sep 12 2009, 02:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=62792:date=Sep 12 2009, 12:44 PM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ Sep 12 2009, 12:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Yeah. BT will find himself lonely on this one.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


It's got NOTHING to do with what BT thinks on this one. I am telling you, AS A FACT, Lee's contract is generally regarded as AWFUL. By pretty much everyone but you guys. He is almost as untradeable as Soriano. He is getting 18.5 for the next 3 years after this one. He's a bad fielder. He plays in a bandbox. If you believe Astro fans, he is lazy to boot.

I'm not saying Soriano is better than him. I am saying that complaining about a shitty fielding, all bat, left fielder who is getting older and still has an unmovable monster contract left to deal with, then posing the idea that Carlos would be the ANSWER to that, is absurd.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Is Lee's contract bad? Sure. But it's two years shorter than Soriano's -- which makes it a whole lot easier to swallow. Lee and Alf were signed in the same offseason -- that's why the comparison continues to get drawn. Who wouldn't trade Alf for Lee, straight-up?

Nobody is saying Lee's contract is a steal. But it's a much better contract than Alf's. And he has been a much better player as well. I'm not even sure what you're arguing.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


I'm arguing that the saying the ideal person to replace an older overpaid one dimensional left fielder who will be horribly overpaid by the end of his contract is NOT Carlos Lee.

I'm arguing that hating Soriano because he is overpaid, and wanting Lee instead is illogical.

Would I trade Soriano for Lee? Yes. But it's ridiculous to pretend that one is a disaster and the other would be a savior. You would have pretty much all of the same problems with Lee, they'd only be slightly less bad.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Never did I say that Lee would be our savior. But these things are true:

- They were both available in the same offseason.
- Lee's contract is two years shorter.
- Lee has outperformed Soriano.
- Lee has been healthier than Soriano.

That's what I meant when I said, "What could have been." Not that we would have won a World Series with Carlos Lee.

But I would trade Carlos Lee and his contract for Alf and his contract in a second. So you would you. So would everyone (other than the Astros, of course).

That's all I'm saying.

[veryzer]

yeah, i'm not saying lee's contract is great. i'm just saying that if lee performed for us the way he has for houston, no one would be talking about trading him. lee was exactly what this team needed, a run producer right in the middle of the lineup.

[kbwsb]

While we're on the subject of FA signings that winter, I remember that Keith Law caused some contorversy when he loudly insisted that Ted lilly would be better than the other prize lefty in the FA pool, Barry Zito.
At exactly 1/3rd the price of Zito, Lilly has kicked ass.

One example, from today's news story:
<!--coloro:#4B0082--><!--/coloro-->"Ted Lilly leads all National League pitchers with 44 victories since the start of 2007, when he joined the Cubs."<!--colorc-->
<!--/colorc-->

Kudos to Jim's hospital bed doggedness.