The following is the first in a two part point/counterpart series by DCist Sports regarding Alfsonso Soriano and his future with the Washington Nationals. Today Matthew Bourque argues for trading him. Jeff Beam will provide the case for keeping Soriano tomorrow.
When Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique muscle, baseball lost its most prolific hitter. On Monday, an inconclusive MRI had experts believing that Pujols would be out for much longer than his initial stint on the DL. How does this affect us Washington folk? Our very own Alfonso Soriano looks to step into Pujols’ void as baseball’s hottest hitter. Unfortunately, this is exactly why we must trade him.
Soriano’s 22 home runs are second only to Pujols’ 25. Alfonso is on pace for career highs in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, batting average, slugging and on-base percentage. Under the mentorship of manager Frank Robinson, Soriano has left early season controversies in his wake through his play on the field and his attitude off of it. He has fulfilled all of his expectations and refuted his doubters. His trade value has never been higher.
Photo taken by Flickr user Scott Ableman, click here for the original
