IS THE END NEAR FOR ALFONSO SORIANO?

I forget sometimes, but Alfonso Soriano is old.  And when I say old, I mean younger than me…39.  

I guess after seeing Derek Jeter make his announcement about retiring after the 2014 season, and knowing that the Yankees now have a full outfield with Carlos Beltran, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury… maybe Soriano sees the writing on the wall.  A lot of factors came into play when the Yanks filled up their outfield this winter.

George King III of the New York Post writes that Soriano is contemplating retirement now. According to King, Soriano said:

“If I am healthy I will play [in 2015]. If not, I will let it go. It depends how I feel.’’

It's simple logic, but it's tough for a ballplayer that has put up some terrific numbers in his career.  There is plenty of talk about Soriano becoming a Designated Hitter for the Yankees this season. That, in my opinion, could be a pretty good spot for a guy like Soriano.  But it's funny... As fans, you just don’t realize just how important it is to keep active after years of playing the field. Once you get the DH role, it's alot of waiting around. It's alot of not staying "game ready".  It's a new habit you need to adapt to... and sometimes it doesn't work.  For someone like Soriano, it could be slightly weird.  He says:

“I don’t know... They said something about DH and left field... If I am the DH I will have to make adjustments...When the team is playing defense I will have to find a way to keep my body warm and ready.’’

Look, to be honest, I think having Soriano as a 4^th outfielder, maybe a part time DH could be a good thing if he can adjust to it. For one, it gives quicker, more athletic players an opportunity to play the outfield in 2014, but it also keeps Alfonso’s bat in the lineup.  The key though is adjusting to the role. Can Soriano do it and become a productive DH?

We’ll have to see what happens in this scenario.  Lord knows though, there are always aches and pains in a season and I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing Soriano in the outfield once in a while as well. I will bet on it actually.

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