Five Years Later: Evaluating the Alex Rodriguez/Alfonso Soriano Trade

It's been almost five years to the day when the New York Yankees traded Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez.

Was it worth it? Here is a quick look at how their numbers have matched up over the past five seasons.

                     Soriano          Rodriguez              5 yr. Season Average     

Average           .281                .303                    Sori           A-Rod

HR's                 172                 208                     34             42

RBI                  435                 616                     87            123

Runs                471                 596                     94            119

Hits                 820                 869                    164            173

Steals              127                 106                     25             21

K's                   639                 646                   128            129

The numbers point to A-Rod, without a doubt, but Soriano's numbers in hits, home runs, and steals are right up there.

The Yankees made the trade because, in a way, they had to. The Red Sox were making a run at Alex, offering Manny Ramirez to the Rangers for him. Since the players' union did not want him to take a pay cut, they pretty much killed the original deal. 

The Yankees swooped in and made the trade while getting the Rangers to throw in around $70 million towards A-Rod's salary. Of course, they would have to give something of value in return. And it was Soriano, who was a fan favorite in the Bronx.

After Soriano's poor showing in the 2003 playoffs, there was a chance for the Yankees to trade him while his value was still high. In the end, they got the better end of the deal. Hopefully, it will turn into some championships for the Bronx Bombers in the near future.