Alfonso Soriano Also Got $136,000,000
ESPN -- Memo to the National League. The Chicago Cubs mean business.
Alfonso Soriano agreed to an eight-year contract with Chicago. Multiple media outlets reported the deal is worth about $136 million.
General manager Jim Hendry earlier had made it clear that the Cubs, who finished 66-96 last season for last place in the NL, were going to be major players in the market.
"We won 66 ballgames. We darn sure better be aggressive," Hendry said.
The Soriano deal is the fifth-largest total package given to a major league player, behind Alex Rodriguez ($252 million for 10 years), Derek Jeter ($189 million for 10 years), Manny Ramirez ($160 million for eight years) and Todd Helton ($141.5 million for 11 years).
Cubs manager Lou Piniella said he plans to bat Soriano leadoff.
"He likes the leadoff spot and there is none better," Piniella said in an interview. "We are talking about the best leadoff hitter in all of baseball."
Obviously huge news for Barstool recently. Everyone is calling it the Biggest Deal Of All Time. Stocks are through the roof. S&P is flush. Dow Jones is stronger than ever while market caps are starting to get into the Zillions. By all objective measures, it's a great time to be half-a-billionaire.
Since the news erupted, people in Chicago keep asking me
Are you going to change Carl?
Not if I have anything to say about it.
Follow question:
How are you so poised and well hung and down2earth?
You think I'm the first guy in town walking around with 136 big ones to his name? Alfonso Soriano laid the ground work over 13 years ago when he showed me what it meant to be a one hundred and thirty six million dollar man. Following his lead, I'm set to work hard for maybe the first 2 years and then just mail it in like Old Yeller knows he's about to get blasted.
At the same time, also helpful to reflect on how much things have changed in baseball since then
After hiring Lou Piniella as its new manager, Chicago re-signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a five-year, $75 million deal. The Cubs also added second baseman Mark DeRosa ($13 million over three years) and re-signed pitcher Kerry Wood ($1.75 million), pitcher Wade Miller (1.5 million) and backup catcher Henry Blanco ($5.25 million over two years).
I just overdosed on nostalgia. Quick someone wake me up I NEED 500 CC'S OF DISGUST
The Cubs have made no secret they'd like to bolster their starting rotation behind ace Carlos Zambrano, especially with the health of Mark Prior still a question mark.
And we're back, just in time to hit the tape on the most unenthusiastic 300th career home run call ever.
Those were the good old days. Back when you could build a cup snake and black out and not feel like the world was out to get you.
But also before I was the richest guy on Clark Street.
Fair trade off.