The name of Sammy Sosa has been a hot topic this off-season. He has been rumored to be on the way to the Mets and even the Nationals. Here are some reasons why Sammy should remain in Cubbie Blue.Over this past off-season the rumor mill has been churning out the idea of Cubs All-star right-fielder, Sammy Sosa, on the move to Queens. Ever since the cork incident the city of Chicago has been on a “What have you done for me lately” policy.
Then came the final game of the `04 season. Sosa took off. Not on the field but on a 747 right back to the Dominican. Just think, the Cubs had recently blew any playoff chance that they had late in the season. To say the very least, Cubs Country was a little disappointed. Then he left the Cubs 162nd game early and left Cubs fans standing with mouths agape.
Sure, leaving your team on the final game of the season wasn’t the best idea. But just because he left doesn’t mean you can dump Sosa off to some team with way too much payroll (a team who just made a seven year, $119 million contract) for Cliff Floyd who has only put up a fraction of the numbers Sosa has. Trying to get young prospects from the Nationals is out of the question as well, seeing as D.C. won’t take on Sosa’s expensive contract.
Even though Floyd is four years younger than Sosa, I don’t see him putting up 20+ home runs over the past eleven years. Floyd would provide the Cubs with a needed left-handed bat, but there would be a monumental void in the Cubs lineup as well as the North Side of Chicago. Here are a few reasons why Sosa should stick around:
3.) 541 HR’s in Cubs pinstripes. With Sosa in his final year of his current contract and only 26 home runs away from hitting 600 on his career, Sammy should be motivated enough to be back to the Sammy we once knew hitting 45+ HR’s.
Sosa is already the all-time leader in the HR category for the Cubs but the Cubs brass would love to have a Cub in the 600 HR club. Thus becoming only the fifth player in MLB history to make this milestone and more importantly, he would do it in a Cubs uniform and hopefully in the 2005 season. If Sammy can accomplish this feat I think it would be easier for Cubs management to re-sign Sosa after the `05 season.
2.) Money. If Sosa is traded anywhere, he will be guaranteed around $35 million over the `05-’06 seasons. Hopefully the Mets, who have been rumored to be the one team in serious considerations for Sosa, have some restraint seeing as they committed $17 million on Carlos Beltran for the `05 season.
The Mets are also front runners for Carlos Delgado who will also bring a hefty price tag and if they do sign Delgado, how much more would they be willing to spend on another player. I don’t think that there is another team around the league who would want to commit that much money for Sosa. especially if what the Cubs want is prospects in return.
1.) Star Power. Sosa has been the best thing to happen to Chicago sports since M.J. left in 1998, which coincidentally is the year of the home run race. Sosa is a super star, in many people’s opinion, he is the biggest name on the Cubs roster. If the Cubs lose Sosa they are in danger of losing the casual Cubs fan as well as some fans who have supported Sosa through thick and thin. If Sosa were traded this winter. Can you picture anyone else trying to fill a #21 Cubs jersey?
One reply on “Three Reasons Why Sosa Should Remain A Cub”
Goes Against Conventional Wisdom This is a well-done piece, esp. in that it goes against the conventional wisdom as laid down by columnists and talk show hosts that Sosa is a worthless loser who ought to be shipped right out of town without straining the reader’s credulity and engaging in special pleading.