Fantasy File

Change of scenery won't hurt numbers for A-Rod, Soriano

By James Quintong, SI.com

Alfonso Soriano will continue to be a premier fantasy threat. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Yankees continued building their own fantasy team by acquiring Alex Rodriguez from the Rangers for Alfonso Soriano in a swap of two of the most valuable players in fantasy baseball. While the deal has major ramifications on baseball in general, its effect on the fantasy world may not really kick in until 2005.

Make no mistake, A-Rod and Soriano are two of the most highly coveted players in fantasy baseball. Both are big-time power hitters, although A-Rod has the higher upside there. Both can hit for average and steal bases, A-Rod the better with the former category, Soriano the better in the latter. Both play middle infield positions where players who put up those kinds of numbers are very rare. Very little changes in their new home.

Much has been made about A-Rod joining a veritable Murderers' Row in the Bronx along with Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, etc. A-Rod has put up big numbers no matter who's around him, and that won't change in New York. If anything, his runs scored and run production should increase a little with all the help around him.

Soriano may be a different matter, depending on where he hits in the Rangers' order. He's not really a leadoff hitter, although he assumed the job with the Yankees, and he probably won't have that role in Texas. Even so, in the middle of the order, he could make another run at a 40-40 season.

Both players could see a change in position this year, which will have an impact on where you play them later this year and definitely next year. A-Rod was such a fantasy superstar because he's put up such sick numbers at shortstop, a historically unproductive position (although it has gotten amazingly top heavy thanks to guys like Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada and Edgar Renteria). That just helped elevate him to the No. 1 fantasy prospect thanks to position scarcity. However, he'll be moving to third base (at least for this season), but that position hasn't wowed anyone in recent years either. So instead of being the best shortstop, he'll be the best third baseman. And depending on your eligibility rules, almost everyone can plug him at third by mid-April , but why would you want to?

The Rangers have a few options with Soriano. He could play second, moving the much better glove man Michael Young over to shortstop. He could play shortstop in A-Rod's place, although that's a big risk on Texas' end. He could move to center field (what the Yankees may have been considering before acquiring Kenny Lofton), moving Michael Young to short and veteran infielder Eric Young to second. Whatever happens, Soriano could take the torch from Albert Pujols as most dangerous fantasy player with multiple position eligibility. That will make things fun both this year (if you have to do some roster shuffling) and next year (where he could have three primary positions up for grabs).

The final piece of the puzzle for those trying to figure out lineups is replacing Soriano at second in New York. With the exception of Tyler Houston, all of the candidates to replace Aaron Boone at third now are up for the second base job. Unfortunately, that group includes journeyman infielders such as Miguel Cairo, Enrique Wilson and maybe Erick Almonte. And you never know if Luis Sojo wants to suit up again. The Yankees may still make another move for a second baseman, but for now, those guys will fill in and maybe be worth a buck or two in deeper leagues since they'll probably score a lot of runs should they get on base. Plus, if Boone can return this year, which is unlikely, he could move to second where he played for part of last season in Cincinnati. It's hard to believe Boone can give Red Sox fans nightmares even when he's hurt.

In the end, feel free to bid the big bucks or use that first-round pick on both A-Rod and Soriano. They'll do what they're supposed to, just in different uniforms. The only big difference right now is how you think about the Yankees -- do you hate them more or do you put even higher expectations on the team?

James Quintong is Fantasy Sports Producer at SI.com.