After over one year of rumors, second baseman Alfonso Soriano has finally been traded. Soriano was dealt to the Washington Nationals on Thursday in exchange for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge, and a minor league player to be named later. Soriano, 29, belted 36 home runs, stole 30 bases and tallied 104 runs batted in during the 2005 campaign. The four time all-star was originally dealt to Texas from the Yankees as part of the Alex Rodriguez trade. Brad Wilkerson, 28, is coming off a poor 2005 season which he hit 11 home runs, 57 runs batted in along with a .248 batting average. Terrmel Sledge spent most of last season on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. The 28-year-old outfielder hit 15 home runs in 133 games with Montreal in 2004. Breaking Down The Deal Rangers GM Jon Daniels made his first major move since being promoted in October by shipping second baseman Alfonso Soriano out of town. Alfonso Soriano is a rare free-swinging power hitter that can steal bases regularly. The former Yankees second baseman has the potential to post a 40/40 season. He needs to show more patience at the plate ? more walks, less strikeouts. His defense is also suspect. In any event, Soriano provides a good bat to the Nationals lineup; he will provide offense for a club that truly lacked a big bat last season. Brad Wilkerson is a patient and potentially powerful hitter. Various hand and arm injuries limited Wilkerson?s ability to drive the ball last season. He has fully recovered and should be able to step up next season. Moving to a bigger ballpark might hurt his home run total, but it will not detract from his sharp batting eye. Terrmel Sledge is an average 4th or 5th outfielder at best. He has some line drive power, but is not great in the field and lacks the patience of a true Major League Hitter. Texas will likely use him as a backup option. Winner: Washington Nationals ? Washington clearly acquires a big-time hitter in Alfonso Soriano. The club needed a bat during their solid run last season which eventually collapsed. Texas obtains a smart lead-off hitter in Wilkerson who should bounce back from injury and provide some offense. I think Daniels could have received a better package for Soriano. Do you have a question, concern, or comment? ? Feel free to email me at [email protected]