Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

Alfonso Soriano refuses to take the field for the Nationals in a spring training game and GM Jim Bowden says they'll place him on the disqualified list (where no play equals no pay) and, I quote, "If he were to sit out this year, he would not be a free agent, he would stay our property because his service time would stay the same."

Property. Nice one, Jimbo. Job well done. Now why don't you call the 20-something Rangers GM who fleeced you on this deal back on the phone, maybe he'll return Brad Wilkerson (Wilkebeast!). Of course, what else could we expect from Bowden after he traded for an All-Star with the full expectation of moving him to a new position without even talking to him about it first? That's worse than giving Christian Guzman $16 million (Guzman's on-base percentage hovered near the Mendoza line last season)! Oh yeah, he did that too.

Bowden's not the only one to blame though. Soriano is being a huge [jerk] of historic proportions. He won the largest arbitration settlement in history this winter, plays the worst second base in the past 50 years and won't move out to left field to help his new team (which desperately needs his bat!).

The Nats and their fans aren't the only losers in this, either. What about the fantasy owners? Whoever has already drafted Alf this spring or held him in a keeper league ought to get first dibs on the waiver wire for the entire month of April. Hell, maybe Brandon Watson will get off to a hot start in Soriano's absence. Regardless, fantasy buyers beware. I wish someone had given Bowden the same advice months ago.

Related: Capitol Punishment posts a great take and blog roundup on the situation and Thomas Boswell's Washington Post column on the situation is a decent read.

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• #2 Comment from monponsett 
  3/22/06 7:56 AM | Permalink

  Soriano doesn't look that smart... they should just stick a base down in right field, tell him that the rules changed, and that second base is now located there- although the runners don't have to go to it.
• #1 Comment from zachls5 
  3/21/06 2:47 PM | Permalink

  that's the thing with Soriano. it's one thing if he's a gold glover at second, but the guy has two bricks for hands. typical of a guy who was once a yankee.
  
  
  http://zachls.blogspot.com/