How do the Top Two Free Agents Match Up?
versus
SPEED
Alfonso Soriano has stolen over 300 bases in his career. Aramis Ramirez has stolen 11 bases in his career. Like Jane's Addiction, he's been caught stealin' 11 times. He is slow like almost Bengie Molina slow as his 55 Ground Into Double Plays the last three seasons is 16 more than Soriano has in his career.
Best Fit For The Angels: Soriano by a long shot
POWER
Soriano's career average over 162 games is 35 HR, Ramirez' is 30. Soriano has a career .510 Slugging %, Ramirez is close behind at .493...
Best Fit For The Angels: Soriano, but very close
DEFENSE
Since Howie Kendrick has 2nd Base covered, Alfonso Soriano would only be an outfielder for us. He has NEVER played an inning in Centerfield, nor in Right. So clean up your puddle, the dream is over, he cannot be expected to play a competent CF. Meanwhile Ramirez fills a hole. He's league average defensively, but he knows the position.
Best Fit For The Angels: Ramirez by a long shot
AGE AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS
Soriano will turn 31 during the offseason. Ramirez turns 29 in June. Despite being a year and a half younger, Ramirez made his debut a year and a half before Soriano and has played 87 more games than Soriano.
Best Fit For The Angels: Ramirez, especially considering the fourth and possible fifth years of the deal.
Since this a tie, let's weigh the categories.
Speed.
We have a lot of it. We have Figgins and Willits to steal bases, we have Vlad and Howie to go 1st to 3rd.
Power
We need it.
Defense
We are clogged at some positions and weak at others. Soriano pushing Kendrick out of 2nd Base or blocking Garret/Rivera in Left would be a problem. Ramirez at 3rd pushes Izturis to Short or the bench and makes McPherson an attractive piece of tradebait.
Age
Either guy is only going to come here on a LOOOOOOOOONG deal for big bucks. Considering the final years of the deal, I sway toward Ramirez in that he will be 32 on Opening day in 2011, while Soriano will be 35.
My Conclusion:
Sign Aramis Ramirez to a 5 year deal, $14 million per season (or $13 mill plus a $5 mill signing bonus). That $70 million is a smidgen less than Vlad got (and is even less considering inflation and a radically heated up market). This deal will be less than Soriano ends up receiving on the open market.
On the other hand, Soriano looks GREAT in red, while Ramirez would be an ex-Cub, a curse-factor used in calculating playoff odds...