Rafael Soriano is among the various players “snubbed” from the All-Star game, which apparently upset the Nationals closer and quite a few of his teammates, but if MLB decides to select him as a last-minute injury replacement Soriano plans to turn them down.
James Wagner of the Washington Post describes Soriano as being “confused” by the snub and here’s how the closer described his feelings:
Odds are pretty decent that Soriano would have been chosen as a replacement, since injuries and pitching schedules knock numerous players out of the mix every year in the days leading up to the game. Seemingly half of the “snubs” end up getting in anyway.
Soriano is certainly deserving of an All-Star spot with a 1.00 ERA and 33/11 K/BB ratio in 36 innings to go with a decade-long track record of excellence, but tons of relievers have great first halves every year and more so than any other position/role the competition is fierce. And spending a few days at home in the Dominican Republic with his family isn’t the worst thing ever.
Editor’s Note: Hardball Talk ‘s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $30,000 Fantasy Baseball league for Tuesday night’s MLB games. It’s $25 to join and first prize is $5,000. Starts at 7:05pm ET on Tuesday.Here’s the FanDuel link .