On November 19, 2006, I received a text message from my friend Dan that read “What do you think about the Cubs getting Soriano?” I thought to myself, Alfonso Soriano…the guy that just went 40/40 for the Washington Nationals…my favorite player? As a Chicago Cubs’ fan this was hard to comprehend as the organization does not have a history of going after high profile free agents–let alone getting the best free agent on the market.  I quickly checked ESPN for confirmation of this exciting, yet ambiguous text and was overjoyed to find out that the Cubs were indeed set to sign Soriano. The deal was $136 million over 8 years. No big deal.  Sure, we have “The Fonz” under contract until 2014 and the Cubs will be paying him $18 million when he is 38, but they finally made a big move.

Since that day, I have been on an emotional roller coaster ride with Fonzie, and it has not been the “Roller Coaster of Love” that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers sang to me about during high school. We are now past the days of wondering if Soriano should bat lead off or what leg ailment he will come down with next. Now, the question is whether or not Soriano should even be playing. What a fall from grace.

Despite the the injuries, gross defensive play, and lead off debate (that is now over), it hasn’t been all bad.  In fact, I would argue that offensively, the streaky Soriano was pretty good in 2007 and 2008 despite injuries that severely limited his play. His averages for the 2007 and 2008 seasons were 31 HR, 73 RBI, 87 R, .290 BA, 19 SB, and .887 OPS. When you factor the 2009 career worst season in, his three-year Cubs’ averages are 27 HR, 67 RBI, 79 R, .273 BA, 16 SB, and .833 OPS. These numbers in no way justify an $18 million contract, but are not bad considering the time he missed with injury. Without injuries, would it have been possible for Soriano to go 30/30 his first two years in Chicago? I think so. Of course, you can’t cast aside the 120 games or so that Soriano has missed, which is part of the problem the fans have with Soriano. Nevertheless, I still think he can be an extremely productive offensive player despite the rough start to 2010, but this is debatable according to ESPNs Stephania Bell.

As the ultimate Alfonso Soriano apologist, it hurt me to read ESPNs Rob Neyer suggest that the Cubs may ultimately end up releasing Soriano down the road as there is not another bad contract to trade him for since Barry Zito has been pitching well.  Aren’t there other alternatives? Derrek Lee is a free agent at the end of the year and I would say it is 50/50 on whether or not he ends up being a Cub next year.  Would you try Soriano at first base? Or better yet, being that we are only 9 games into the season, why don’t we be a little more patient, agree that Soriano is a hack in the outfield, and hope the offense comes around. I think it may, but as I said, I am a Soriano apologist. In fact, I am thinking of ways to trade for him in my fantasy leagues as I type. I bet I can trade Barry Zito for Soriano in a second Rob Neyer.

Is Soriano playing like the real Fonz?

Bryce Carlson (Brian Roberts) – In the fantasy baseball second base market, Brian Roberts is a performance enhancing choice… no pun intended.  First of all, Roberts is a workhorse.  He has averaged 157 games for the last three seasons.  You don’t need to worry about him straining his hamstring while stealing third followed later by a strained quad.  He is going to come to the ballpark every day and play.  Roberts also gives you solid offensive production in a lot of different categories which is key in fantasy baseball.  Roberts has an above average OBP which is the building block to almost every other offensive statistic.  Also, Roberts puts you in great position to own the SB category in your league which can be a tricky one.  Keep in mind that Roberts is a lead-off hitter, so he will not rack up a lot of home runs and does not have as many opportunities to drive in runs.  Still, Brian Roberts is a great option at second base.  Put him in your lineup everyday and leave him there.  He’s like the Showtime Rotisserie Oven… “Set it, and forget it!”

Jeff Walter (Brandon Phillips) – Once you get past Utley there are a number of solid options at second base. Who you should choose depends largely on need. You need someone to get on base while not contributing too many strikeouts? Pedroia is your guy. Do you have a need for speed? Roberts is your best bet. But if you’re looking for a second baseman that can help you in multiple categories and Utley is gone, your choice is between Phillips and Kinsler. When you look over the past few seasons their statistics are closer than you might expect. Both players can be counted on to hit around .275, knock 20 home runs, and swipe 20 bases. In fact each has a 30-30 season on their record (the only other second baseman with a 30-30 in the history of the sport is Alfonso Soriano). What separates the two? Kinsler will score more runs while Phillips will drive in more runs. Dusty Baker has already stated that he plans to bat Phillips clean-up (cozily between Joey Votto ahead of him and Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce behind), so expect the RBI opportunities to continue to be plentiful. Finally, if you, like me, have a hard time deciding between Phillips and Kinslers and your league has a defensive category, Phillips should be your guy. Phillips has consistently had a higher fielding percentage (and correspondingly fewer errors) than Kinsler over their careers. In fact, Phillips is good enough defensively to have won the 2008 NL Gold Glove.

Scott Oleniczak (Dustin Pedroia) – When drafting a fantasy second baseman, you want a consistent run scorer who excels in all the key offensive statistical categories, and for this reason you should draft 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia.  Pedroia has averaged 106 runs and an astonishing .837 OPS over the last three seasons which ranks higher than Kinsler and Phillips.  While falling 1 run short of Roberts in his quest for a clean sweep over all three players in runs and .OPS category.   Even more impressive, Pedroia is averaging a minuscule 46 strikeouts over his last 3 seasons (Kinsler 76, Phillips 97, Roberts 105).  Pedroia is no slouch in the field averaging only 6 errors in a span of 3 seasons (Roberts 9, Phillips 8, Kinsler 15).  Pedroia falls slightly short in the HR and RBI category with a 3 years average of 13 homeruns and 68 RBI’s, however when  I’m building my fantasy team I’m getting my power surge from my corner infielders and outfielders.  In short, if you are looking for a second baseman that is well above average in all offensive categories and will help lead you to success in the all important strikeout and error categories, Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is your guy.

Jason Oleniczak (Ian Kinsler) – Second base is the new shortstop.  Players like Kinsler, Pedroia, Phillips, Aaron Hill, and Robinson Cano are making second base what Nomar Garciaparra, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada, made shortstop in the late 90’s early.  No longer do you just look for second basemen that provide value in categories such as R, BA, OBP, and SB, but you can look for second basemen that provide pop.  Kinsler’s three-year SLG is .482, compared to .461 for Pedroia, .458 for Phillips, and .444 for Roberts.  From 1997 to 2009 he has averaged 23 HR and 100 RBI.  During that same time frame he averaged 27 SB and an OPS of .834 which barely ranks second to Pedroia’s .837. 2010 should be an interesting year in the maturation of Kinsler as he is expected to move from leadoff to 5th in the batting order.  Will there be a spike in his power numbers and a decline in stolen bases?  Possibly, but I would expect it to be fairly marginal on both sides.  Outside of Chase Utley, Kinsler is the cream of the crop at second base.  The added bonus with Kinsler is the borderline Steve Buechele power puff hair.  Lookin good Kinsler…lookin good.

Despite having an awful second half with the Chicago White Sox last season, Dye finished the 2009 campaign with .250 AVG, 27 HR, and 81 RBI. However, Dye’s defense is average at best at this point in his career and his skills are best suited as a DH or backup outfielder. For the Cubs, it would be a decent gamble as Dye would provide a power bat off the bench and give the team a solid alternative in right and left field should Alfonso Soriano or Kosuke Fukudome get injured or struggle. The Cubs are also rumored to be interested in free agent outfielder Xavier Nady as well as a possible fourth outfielder.

What do you think? Can Dye rebound from his miserable second half and still be a solid contributor or should the Cubs look elsewhere?

9. Robinson Cano – Cano started his career in 2005 with the New York Yankees and has been a solid performer for the team since his debut. He has done a respectable job playing a supporting cast role in the Yankees lineup, as most of his skills go unnoticed with names such as ARod and Jeter garnering much of the attention. For his career, Cano has a .306 AVG, 87 HR, and 394 RBI. He has done a great job of getting on base as he has scored 406 runs in his career, along with an OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging %) of .818. The 27 year old second basemen is about to hit the prime of his career with the hope of moving into the upper echelon of today’s second basemen.

8. Craig Biggio – Biggio is a no-brainer choice for this list despite his rather low ranking on the list. Biggio is most recognized for his play at second base, however, he originally came into the majors as a catcher back in 1988 and also had two seasons this decade as the everyday center fielder for the Houston Astros back in 2003 and 2004. For the decade, he finished with a .266 AVG, 139 HR, 469 RBI, 724 Runs, and a .766 OPS mostly from the leadoff spot in the lineup. Before retiring after the 2007 season, Biggio punched his ticket to Cooperstown when he became the 27th player in MLB history to log 3,000 hits in his career. He was truly a throwback player with his gritty play both on the offensive and defensive sides of the game and is possibly one of the last players we will ever see that starts and finishes his career with the same team.

7. Luis Castillo – Castillo had most of his success in the first part of the decade as a member of the Florida Marlins. He was a constant headache for opposing teams as he led the NL in stolen bases in 2000 (62 SB) and 2002 (48 SB). Castillo was also one of the premier defenders in the game in the early part of the decade.From 2003-2005, Castillo was the NL Gold Glove Award winner at second base for 3 consecutive seasons.  However, after leaving the Marlins after the 2005 season, Castillo saw his production start to decline as he seemed to get on base less frequently and became less of a threat on the base paths. For the decade, Castillo finished with a .298 AVG, 276 SB, 823 Runs, and a .735 OPS.

6. Jose Vidro – This is by far one of the most questionable picks at any position by the MLB Network. Vidro is currently out of baseball due to poor production and was a mediocre hitter at best in the second part of the decade despite finishing with a good average. Vidro was one of the last good players the Montreal Expos franchise saw before they eventually became the Washington Nationals. From 2000-2005, Vidro was a 3-time All Star selection (mostly due to the Expos needing a representative) with his best season coming in 2000 when he finished with a .330 AVG, 24 HR, and 97 RBI. Vidro played at a time when the second base position was one of the weakest in quite some time. He would finish the decade with a .303 AVG, but doesn’t really deserve a mention on this list, especially ahead of a future Hall of Famer in Craig Biggio.

5. Brian Roberts – “BRob” is a doubles machine who became the all time single season leader in doubles for a switch hitter with 56. He has also led the AL twice this decade in that category and has 318 for his career. “BRob” is also a dangerous leadoff hitter as he is a consistent threat on the basepaths. For the decade, he finished with 256 SB with the most coming in 2007 (50 SB). Like many players this decade, “BRob” was not immune to the steroids controversy as he was listed on the famed Mitchell Report. After his steroid admission, Roberts has proven he is not a fluke as he is currently both one of the best leadoff and second basemen in all of baseball. For the decade, he finished with a .284 AVG, 77 HR, 443 RBI, 729 Runs, and a .776 OPS.

4. Dustin Pedroia – Pedroia finds himself on this list despite only playing 3 seasons this decade. He has built quite a resume in his short career as he started with a AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 with the Boston Red Sox. Not to be outdone, Pedroia would go on to win both the AL MVP and Gold Glove Award in only his second season in the league. That season he established himself as an elite second basemen with a .326 AVG, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 118 Runs, 54 doubles, and stellar defense. Pedroia scores one for the little guys as he stands at only 5’9″ tall, but puts up big time numbers with his hard-nosed play. The future is bright for this second basemen.

3. Alfonso Soriano – Before moving to the outfield in 2006 with the Nationals, Soriano was one of the premier hitting second basemen this decade. 157 of his 289 HR this decade came as a second basemen. The free-swinging Soriano possessed the rare combination of power and speed before becoming a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2007. He had 4 seasons of at least 30 HR and 30 SB and even became an exclusive member of the 40-40 club in 2006. Soriano put up these type of power numbers from the leadoff spot, which is generally meant for high OBP and singles type hitters. However, since becoming a member of the Cubs, Soriano has seen his skills decline progressively each year as he is no longer a speed threat and his defense has remained adventurous to say the least. Despite his disappointing tenure with the Cubs, Soriano is worthy of a spot on this list as he put on quite a show offensively as a second basemen.

2. Chase Utley – Utley is currently considered the best second basemen in all of baseball and is an excellent choice for the No. 2 spot on this list. Utley started his career in 2003, but didn’t truly establish himself until the 2005 season. Starting with the 2005 season, Utley has averaged 29 HR, 101 RBI, and 111 Runs a year. In addition to his consistent power numbers, he also provides a steady career AVG of .295. Over his career, Utley has provided solid defense at second for the Philadelphia Phillies and has built quite a double play combo with shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Utley added to his legacy in Philadelphia by having 2 multi-homer games in last seasons’ World Series against the New York Yankees. You can’t find much better in today’s game than Chase Utley, who will lead the current crop of second basemen into the next decade.

1. Jeff Kent – Kent would retire from the game of baseball after the 2008 season as the all-time home run leader for second basemen with 377 career HR. He was the first MVP (2000) hailing from the second base position since Ryne Sandberg won the NL MVP in 1984. For the decade, Kent hit at a .300 clip with 216 HR and 850 RBI, which are impressive numbers at any position. Kent is best remembered for his time with the San Francisco Giants where he was Barry Bonds protection in the Giants lineup. While not known as a flashy player by any means, Kent was a consistent run producer over the decade which helped him finish his career with some impressive numbers.

After going through this list, the type of players representing this position is quite diverse. You have power hitters such as Kent and Utley and you also have your leadoff hitters in Castillo and Roberts. The second base position isn’t known primarily as a big run producing spot on the diamond, which is why it is rare to find a player such as Chase Utley as the most recognized name at the position currently. It is great to see how the game of baseball continues to evolve and stay fresh over time and it will be interesting to see how we will look at the second base position in the next decade.

Up Next: Top 9 Shortstops of the Decade

Milton Bradley, rightfielder for the Chicago Cubs, was the National League LVP.  Other names mentioned for the NL LVP included Emilio Bonifacio, Florida Marlins; Jeff Francoeur, Atlanta Braves/New York Mets; Jason Kendall, Milwaukee Brewers; Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers; Edgar Renteria, San Francisco Giants; and Alfonso Soriano, Chicago Cubs.

Posnanski’s analysis was based mostly on the players production in relation to their salary, which is the main reason Bradley and Wells took home the prize. Both players are perfect examples of what baseball insiders and prognosticators view as “unmovable contracts.” In recent years, many teams were trying to adopt the “Yankees” approach by buying a World Series’ contender. However, some teams such as the Cubs and Blue Jays gave big money to players like Soriano, Bradley, and Wells and are now wishing they could find a trade market for these players.

One obvious omission is Barry Zito (LHP) of the San Francisco Giants. Last year, Zito posted 10 wins and 13 losses, along with an ERA of 4.03. While not terrible numbers, is that really the production the Giants were looking to get for 18.5 million? What do you think of Posnanski’s analysis? Is there anyone else that should be included in this list?

After reading this list, I scrolled down the page and took a look at Baseball America’s top prospects of the decade list for the Cubs. Such names as Corey Patterson, Mark Prior, and Felix Pie once graced the title of being the Cubs top prospect. From that list the only players still with the organization are reliever Angel Guzman and current No. 3 prospect Josh Vitters. What does this say about the Cubs’ ability to develop players in their system? It’s no secret to Cubs’ fans that the the organization is notorious for not being able to produce homegrown talent. New owner, Tom Ricketts, recently expressed his desire to win on a consistent basis. His outlook on becoming a winner on a yearly basis is for the organization to consistently develop their minor league talent and have them ready to contribute to the big league club.

The Florida Marlins are a great example of an organization that puts out competitive, pesky teams with homegrown talent and minimal resources. The Cubs obviously have a huge leg up on the Marlins in terms of resources due to being in a large market. I can only imagine how ecstatic teams like the Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays would be if they had the Cubs’ payroll.

Baseball America’s Top Ten List of Cubs Prospects

1. Starlin Castro, ss
2. Brett Jackson, of
3. Josh Vitters, 3b
4. Andrew Cashner, rhp
5. Jay Jackson, rhp
6. Hak-Ju Lee, ss
7. Logan Watkins, 2b
8. Chris Carpenter, rhp
9. Ryan Flaherty, ss/2b/3b
10. D.J. LeMahieu, ss/2b