MLB reports:  Rewind to the 2010 season.  If I told you there was a 27 year old catcher that hit .280 with 17 home runs in only 105 games that year, I bet that you would be impressed.  Add in 62 walks, a .393 OBP and .497 SLG and I would fathom that you would be very high on this player.  The same player that in 2008 hit 23 long balls in 141 games and managed a .285 average, with a .364 OBP and .504 SLG.  Again, very impressive for a catcher, as top hitting catchers are hard to find in baseball.  Yet this same player, who was an 11th round pick in 2001, was the same player that hit .218 in 2009, with 11 home runs in 102 games, with a measly .321 OBP and .381 SLG.  Fast forward to 2011 and this player is hitting an embarrassing .189 with 1 home run.  Confused?  Many baseball experts are.  Welcome to the mystery that is Geovany Soto, catcher for the Chicago Cubs.

In 2006 and 2007, Soto had barely a sip of coffee in his brief appearances in the show.  Having showcased some good pop though in 2007, Soto was handed the job in the 2008 season and ran with it.  At the conclusion of that season, the sky was the limit for Soto.  Entering the 2009 season, Soto was selected to play for his native Puerto Rico in the 2nd edition of the World Baseball Classic.  However, the discovery of marijuana use during the WBC tainted Soto’s reputation and results for that baseball season.  The mystery surrounding Soto was whether he had suffered a mere relapse or was already hitting a decline.  Reports indicated immaturity and laziness on his part and Soto’s play and results on the field were indicative of his reputation.  Much like Russell Martin was due for a change of scenery in leaving the Dodgers this past offseason, experts questioned whether Soto still had a future as a Cub going into 2010.  A rebound was in order.

2010 turned out to be a bounce-back year for Soto, despite reports of a hurt shoulder and various ailments that caused him to miss over 50 games in the season.  Having alternated good and bad seasons, 2011 represents Soto’s chance at redemption by showing consistency in consecutive outstanding seasons.  That would be the hope if one is a Soto and/or Cubs fan.  However, as his slow start has indicated, the future of Soto remains unsettled to this day.  How Geovany Soto performs remains a mystery to us all, let alone what the next few years have in store for the stocky catcher.  If I had to look into a crystal ball though, I would predict big things still for the Cubs backstop.

For all the doubts surrounding Geovany Soto, I propose that the potential is there and has never left this underrated talent.  2009 was a strange year for Soto that never seemed to get untracked.  The marijuana story created a distraction for Soto as part of the WBC and then in the MLB regular season.  Embarrassed I am sure for the negative exposure in his native country, Soto ended up having one of those years that just need to be written off.  After all, Tim Lincecum faced similar charges and scandal this past offseason and his reputation seems to have recovered more than ok.  As long as Soto is healthy, the opportunities should still be there for him and all Soto has to do is work hard and play the game the right way.  The Cubs are a team in desperate need of leadership, both on and off the field.  Geovany Soto can finally make the Cubs “his team” and help the team rise as a result.

As long as Albert Pujols is hitting .150 (already up to over .200 with a strong game tonight), Soto can be allowed a slow start to the 2011 season.  Having shown that he can produce in the past, there is no reason why Soto should not succeed this year.  Hitting in the middle of the lineup in the cozy confines of Wrigley, Soto is of  the right age and experience tha a monster season should be coming.  I truly believe that Geovany Soto has all the talent in the world and that we are just scratching the surface as to what he can do.  Why he has taken step backs and where he is headed may be a mystery, but there is no doubt that the potential and promise is still there.  In my opinion, any so called “baseball expert” that can write off a catcher with power and patience like Soto is foolish.  Jason Varitek is a name that often comes to my mind when I think of Geovany Soto.  Their style of play, bats and hustle are cut from the same cloth.  The Cubs would be thrilled if Soto could grow into the captain of their team one day.  With a breakthrough year this year, I think the Soto that was expected will emerge that will dominate and likely erase all the negative images of his past.  If all goes according to plan, by the all-star break can erase the mystery portion of his life and create a positive image and results for himself.  Gut feel, I can see this coming together for him soon.

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