And the Phillies were one of them.
This, remember, was before the 2007 finish that broke a 14-year playoff drought, before last year's exhilarating run to the world championship. This was back at a point when they weren't known for big, bold offers to free agents.
The rumor was that the Phillies might be willing to consider a deal in the $100 million range. And, yes, they were disappointed when the Cubs blew everybody out of the water.
With the benefit of hindsight, it's easy to see how lucky they were.
While there's no way of knowing exactly how the script might have played out had Soriano chosen red pinstripes, one thing can be said with absolute certainty: The money that would have been funneled to him would not have been available to spend elsewhere.
Since then, they've tied up Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Brett Myers and Cole Hamels with multiyear deals. They made midseason trades that added significant contracts for Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton and Kyle Lohse. They increased the payroll when they acquired Brad Lidge.
They've signed free agents (Raul Ibanez, Pedro Feliz, Chan Ho Park) to plug holes. They've been able to keep virtually every potential free agent and arbitration-eligible player they've wanted to. And now they're well on their way to their third straight division title.
It's not a stretch to suggest that, had they signed Soriano, they wouldn't have been able to do much of that. And that, as a result, things wouldn't have worked out nearly as well.
Once again, all together now: Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make.
The hot corner
