The Sunday arrivals of outfielder Brett Jackson and third sacker Josh Vitters infused the already young Cubs with more green than Wrigley’s ivy. The 22-year-old Vitters joins similarly aged shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo. When Vitters mercifully claims the hot corner from Luis Valbuena and his sub-Mendoza Line bat, the oldest Cubs infielder will be 26-year-old second baseman Darwin Barney.
The Cub behind the dish will either be 25-year-old Welington Castillo or 26-year-old Steve Clevenger. Jackson will make his big league debut as a 24-year-old. With so much youth in the lineup, would the Cubs not benefit from a veteran presence? Perhaps that veteran is not some future free agent, but our very own left fielder.
Alfonso Soriano joined the Cubs with 40-40 expectations. A pulled hammy and a slower bat dampened those hopes. However, as The Big Guy predicted, Soriano has enjoyed a revival this season. His .270 average is his highest since 2008, his defensive WAR of -0.2 is his best since 2007 and he is on pace to play 150 games for the first time since 2006. All this with 19 home runs and 64 RBI.
Soriano is 36 years old and is owed $38 million over the next two seasons. The calls for Theo and Jed to deal Soriano, either through waivers this August or over the offseason, will be loud and continuous. But are they wise?
Cubs fans still hoping for Fonsi to discover the fountain of youth would be better served reading Ponce de Leon’s Wikipedia page. This is not to say Soriano will not continue to produce through 2014. The Dominican is yet to post a sub-20 home run season in his six years in Chicago and the rest of the Cubs roster is light on accomplished MLB power.
If Chicago does trade Soriano, they are not likely to receive much in return. The deal would leave the Cubs with the majority of Soriano’s epic contract, with the other team paying no more than a couple million. Is a few extra million and a couple of minor leaguers really worth it? Exciting prospects like Albert Almora and Jorge Soler are at least two years away— it is not like Soriano is blocking worthy traffic.
So why not hold on to the overpaid Dominican who never fulfilled his lofty expectations? Let him pass his final two seasons with the Cubs knocking some youngsters in from scoring position. If a contender ever makes an offer we can’t refuse, then pull the trigger. But here’s to hoping the Cubs do not let a productive bat sail without something significant in return. And in the more likely case that those offers never materialize, let’s have Dale continue to plug #12 in left.
The Big Guy
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