Where to hit Soriano is becoming Chicago's debate
What can you do in St. Louis before a Cards game? Bryan Biederman tried a trip to the brewery.
Soriano deserves another crack at the leadoff spot, but the great Chicago debate over his position in the batting order is about to enter its next phase. The Cubs' on-base percentage soared when Soriano was on the disabled list with a right calf strain, their transformation sparked by Reed Johnson and Ryan Theriot at the top of the order and Kosuke Fokudome in the No. 5 spot. Naturally, Soriano went 0-for-4 in his return to the leadoff position against the Brewers on Thursday. Naturally, the Cubs lost, 4-3.
The scrutiny on Soriano only will increase this weekend when the Cubs visit St. Louis in an early showdown between the two NL Central leaders (MLB on Fox, Saturday, 3:45 p.m. ET). Yet, Piniella isn't batting Soriano leadoff as a concession to a $136 million player. No, Piniella is doing it for the same reason he does everything else — because he believes it is best for his team.
Notes of importance
The Braves were not blindsided by John Smoltz's announcement that he would return as a closer; they were only surprised that he embraced the idea so enthusiastically after initially expressing reluctance in discussions with club officials.Without Smoltz in the rotation, Tim Hudson, Tom Glavine and Jair Jurrjens become the Braves' top three starters. Right-hander Jo-Jo Reyes, who had a 1.17 ERA in five starts at Class AAA, will pitch Saturday against the Reds, and the Braves also plan to explore trade options. They've got enough minor-league depth to pull off a deal, but will not overpay for a mediocre pitcher.
*It's difficult to imagine that the Rockies will benefit in any way if Troy Tulowitzki is sidelined until the All-Star break, but perhaps Clint Barmes will rebuild his trade value in his return to shortstop. The Rockies were willing to move Barmes last off-season, but did not view any of the trade offers as sufficiently tempting. Jonathan Herrera, a switch-hitter and excellent defender, figures to get a long look at second.
The Rockies would not pursue a second baseman such as the Orioles' Brian Roberts unless they got back in contention — and if they got back in contention, Herrera or Omar Quintanilla likely would be a part of their revival.
*The Yankees made a concerted effort to re-sign catcher Wil Nieves last off-season, envisioning him as protection at Class AAA. Nieves took less money to sign with the Nationals, believing he would get a better opportunity — and effectively became the team's No. 1 catcher while Paul LoDuca was on the disabled list with a bruised hand.
The Nats plan to carry three catchers after LoDuca is activated Friday night. Nieves could be claimed by the Yankees or another club if the Nats try to put him through waivers; the Yankees, with Jorge Posada on the DL, might view Nieves as an upgrade over Chad Moeller, whom they re-signed to back up Jose Molina. The third Nationals catcher, Johnny Estrada, eventually could be released; he is earning $1.25 million.
— Ken Rosenthal
"He likes hitting leadoff. He just likes it," Piniella said last week in Washington. "Sori reminds me of a guy I played with for a couple of years — Bobby Bonds. I was with the Yankees, and they put Bonds in the four hole because he had hit 40 home runs. He struggled terribly. They moved him back to the one hole and he was his old All-Star self."
The year was 1975. Bonds, acquired for Bobby Murcer, was coming off a 21-homer season with the Giants, but had hit 39 the previous year. The Yankees actually hit him third, not fourth, but Piniella's memory is otherwise correct. Bonds hit much better after he returned to the leadoff spot.
Soriano displayed similar tendencies in his first season with the Cubs, but his career on-base percentage is .326 while Bonds' was .353. Yes, Soriano offers far more power than the Cubs' other leadoff hitters. Yes, he can get hot and carry a team for long stretches. But the only way to justify keeping Soriano in the leadoff spot, Cubs officials say, is if he again shows he can run.
That doesn't just mean stealing bases, though Soriano predicts he can get 30 now that his legs are healthy. It also means going first-to-third and second-to-home, running on 3-1 and 3-2 counts, displaying the unique power-speed combination that made Soriano a 41-double, 46-homer, 41-steal man with the Nationals in 2006.
That season probably was Soriano's outlier, but it's the one that earned him his eight-year, $136 million free-agent contract. Soriano, 32, almost certainly will not be batting leadoff when his deal expires in 2014. But at the moment, he offers far more speed than Johnson and Theriot, and the Cubs' quest to land the Orioles' Brian Roberts — a prototypical leadoff man — is on hold.
Fukudome, tied for third in the NL with a .455 OBP, might be the Cubs' best leadoff option, and Piniella ideally would prefer him in the No. 2 spot. But the Cubs' primary motivation for signing Fukudome, a left-handed hitter, was to balance their heavily right-handed attack. Fukudome best does that in the No. 5 hole, protecting cleanup man Aramis Ramirez and lengthening the Cubs' lineup.
"Every time I hit, he's on base," says Mark DeRosa, the No. 6 hitter. "It's awesome."
DeRosa ended April with 19 RBIs, his career-high for that month, and added another Thursday. Geovany Soto has 21 RBIs hitting mostly out of the No. 7 hole. If teams summon a left-hander to face Fukudome, they then might need a right-hander for DeRosa and Soto. And Fukudome thus far has been effective against lefties, going 9-for-26 with three walks.
Fukudome has one home run, as many as Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, and 10 RBIs, six fewer than backup infielder Ronny Cedeno, yet he is presented as the Cubs' savior on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated. In truth, the extreme makeover is attributable not just to Fukudome, but also to the addition of Johnson and elevation of Soto to a full-time role.
The Cubs, ninth in the NL with a .333 on-base percentage last season, currently rank first at .375, with six regulars above .400. Their walk rate ranks third in the NL; last season it was next-to-last. The speed of Fukudome and Johnson also produces intangible benefits, forcing pitchers to use slide steps and throw more fastballs.
Theriot, in particular, welcomes the change. The Cubs' hitters last season were so undisciplined, Theriot says he often made it a point to extend his at-bats; that way, at least one player would be trying to wear down the opposing starter. "I would take the one good pitch I got to hit trying to work the count," Theriot says. "Now, I don't have to do that. I can focus on hitting strikes."
The overall effect on the Cubs' offense is nothing short of stunning. Soriano, a symbol of the team's old ways, will become a target of discontent if he becomes a drag in the leadoff spot. His career-high .351 OBP in '06 was adequate for a leadoff man, but in no other season has he been above .338. He needs to show more patience, hit for power, flash his speed.
It's a brave new Cubs world.
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