Fantasy Baseball Cafe Forums

by **jeffwarsh** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:22 pm

With the possibility of Guardado being traded to a contender and with Soriano gearing up for a return, is he worth keeping an eye on as a potential closer? Obviously this kid has the stuff so I think it would make sense for Seattle to give him a shot.

by **acsguitar** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:27 pm

If you have room you could pick him up...i haven't heard much rumour wise about him or guardado being traded though

by **nikku88** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 12:57 pm

I'd wait to see if he's healthy first. I read that he still has a bit of pain with his slider.

by **AKhomebrewer** » Wed Jun 15, 2005 1:37 pm

From today's Seattle Times:

• Reliever Rafael Soriano, out since last May with an elbow injury that required tendon replacement surgery, will pitch a simulated game this week. He will also throw two more bullpen sessions and expects to go on a rehab option next week.

There's no mention of pain and, indeed, he seems well ahead of schedule.
That said, I'm not sure Hargrove would toss him right into the fire as closer should Guardado depart.

As to Guardado trade rumors: there's nothing coming out of Seattle to this effect. What you've got is the annual musings of the punditry as we move within six weeks of the trade deadline. What they're doing is projecting closers whose teams seemed destined to fall out of contention (Guardado, Wickman, Baez, Mesa) and then pointing out which contending teams appear in the market for bullpen depth (Atlanta, Mets, Fla, et al).

Bottom line: I don't see Soriano carrying a high probability of closing this season, and I always give a long look before grabbing guys fresh back from TJ. However in keeper leagues, especially those with minor-league or 'taxi squad' type slots, he has plenty of value.