ESPN:Some big-time suprises and comments on Soriano

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MUST READ!!

Bold Is key words.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2352752

Alfonso Soriano left the Washington Nationals to join the Dominican Republic team for the World Baseball Classic with his position unresolved.

Soriano doesn't want to move from second base to the outfield as the Nationals, who have Jose Vidro at second, have asked.


"They have three weeks to fix it," Soriano told The Washington Post before leaving town. He told the paper he didn't know what would happen if the issue remains unresolved.

Manager Frank Robinson, who didn't have either second baseman in the Nationals' lineup for the first two exhibition games, expects the next move to come from Soriano.

"Hopefully [he will] come to us when he comes back -- or while he's there, maybe have his agent call us and say, 'OK, Alfonso said this is what he's going to do,' " Robinson told the Post. "That's what we're hoping for."

A two-hour meeting with team officials last week failed to produce a breakthrough, and the parties essentially agreed to put off the problem.

"We've been pretty clear about being unclear," general manager Jim Bowden said Feb. 23.

Soriano worked out at second base with the Nationals for the first few days of spring training because that is the position he will play for the Dominican Republic. Soriano reported to the Dominican team Friday and could return as late as March 21.
The Nationals acquired Soriano, a four-time All-Star second baseman, from Texas in a December trade that sent outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge and pitcher Armando Galarraga to the Rangers.

With three-time All-Star Vidro already on the roster, Washington made it clear that Vidro will not be moved and that Soriano would be asked to play left field. Soriano made it clear that he wasn't happy about it.

Robinson told the Post that he hasn't had an in-depth conversation since the meeting last week with Soriano, his agent and Bowden to sit down. The team had limited contact with Soriano in the offseason because he was going through arbitration -- the panel chose the team's $10 million offer over his $12 million request.

Robinson has dismissed the notion of moving Vidro to another position. Vidro has been bothered by knee problems for 2½ seasons, but said he "100 percent" and ready to play a full season when he reported to camp. He announced he would not play for Puerto Rico in the WBC in order to focus on the Nationals.

[ed hardiman]

Soriano has created a real logjam do you think it likely he'd sit out rather than play?
If he throws a big enough tantrum will the Gnats Terrell Owens him?
Or should they just move him now to a team like the Mets for anything with a pulse?

[Bob Hannah]

Originally Posted by ed hardiman

Soriano has created a real logjam do you think it likely he'd sit out rather than play?
If he throws a big enough tantrum will the Gnats Terrell Owens him?
Or should they just move him now to a team like the Mets for anything with a pulse?

I'll take door number three. But we would need pitching and the Mets probably don't want to give that up.

I don't think he'd sit out, he becomes an FA after this season. (The guy lost his arbitration but still wound up making 2.5 mil more than last year. He certainly isn't worth the ten million in my book.) If he does sit he hurts himself bigtime for next season-maybe. I'm certain the guy would be more than happy to play 2B for any team that really wants to lay down many millions for his subpar defensive services. All he would need to do is smile and say "I'm not a problem child outfielder, I'm a second baseman." He would be happy as a clam, professing love for his new team because that team would play him in his chosen position.

He hasn't done enough (yet) to TeeOh him. The way I see it, Frank Robby may tell him to take left field. If Soriano refuses, it would give the Nats better grounds to try and not pay him. Maybe the guy jumps the team, an even stronger basis not to pay. Down side is the Nats lose Wilky, Sledge and minor leaguer for...not having to pay Soriano $10 mil? I don't know all the legalities of MLB contracts, but if D.C. could get out of it by not paying out $10 million if Sori sits, this may be the team's best case scenario.

Keep Vidro. Probably isn't the player he once was. '05 showed he wasn't recovered from the '04 injury year. So we fall back to compare to his '03 season, the last full year. This is three years removed for that time via injury. Lots of questions there. Vidro is a team guy, Robbly is still around but Bowden as GM doesn't have the ties to Vidro the Expo that Minaya had. That being said, trading Vidro to the Mets does't seem implausible. Nats lose all around-Wilky, Vidro, Sledge, Soriano after this season, for...what? Unknown roster fillers.

The National (Bowden) certainly went into this blind assuming Soriano would take up left field. The Nats come out looking bad in this one no matter how you cut it.

Merciful malignancies, can you say clubhouse cancer?