Yankees Close To Acquiring Alfonso Soriano From Cubs

[PTBG]

Alfonso Soriano‘s return to the Bronx has been rumored for the past couple of days, but a deal is almost official.

According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, Cubs manager Dale Sveum said that Soriano has been scratched from tonight’s lineup against the Diamondbacks because a trade with the Yankees is close. In fact, Sveum told Sullivan that a deal is “99 percent done.”

The specifics of the deal aren’t yet known. Soriano still has around $25 million left on his contract through next season, so the Cubs figure to pay a big chunk of it. Similar to the Vernon Wells trade, the Yankees will likely try to arrange it so that whatever portion they cover will not count toward their payroll for next season. Soriano’s contract includes a full no-trade clause, but it was never expected to be an obstacle here.

Soriano, who played his first five seasons in the majors as a member of the Yankees, is batting .254/.287/.467 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI through 93 games this season. The Yankees have been desperate for any sort of production from the right side of the plate, so Soriano should help on that end. The 37-year-old has an .806 OPS against southpaws this season. He’ll likely play left field for now and figures to shift to DH when Curtis Granderson comes off the DL.

Alfonso Soriano was pulled from Thursday's lineup because the Cubs are working out a trade that will send him to the Yankees, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS

It was only a matter of time before this deal got done, and it sounds like the two sides are nearing an agreement. Assuming everything goes through, Soriano gets out of the difficult NL Central but will head to another similarly challenging division in the AL East. Yankee Stadium has played as a neutral park the past two years, but there's no doubt that it's a rough place for right-handed pull hitters like Soriano. Perhaps his level of comfort in New York will make up for a left-center field fence that feels like it's a mile away.

6:56pm: ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Cubs are likely to receive a lower-level pitching prospect for Soriano and that they will eat the majority of the money remaining on Soriano's contract. The two sides are waiting for the formal waiving of Soriano's no-trade clause (Twitter links).
6:33pm: Alfonso Soriano has been scratched from the Cubs' lineup tonight because he is close to being traded to the Yankees, Cubs manager Dale Sveum confirmed to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Sullivan adds that Sveum referred to the trade as "99 percent done."

Reports of a Soriano deal between the Yankees and Cubs first surfaced earlier this week, but general manager Jed Hoyer shot them down, calling them "premature." This time, however, Cubs president Theo Epstein has told Sveum that a deal is nearly complete, as noted by MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (on Twitter). Soriano, who can refuse any trade due to a full no-trade clause (he's also a 10-and-5 player at this point), confirmed yesterday that he would be open to joining the Yankees.

Soriano, 37, would be joining the team with which he broke into the Major Leagues back in 1999. The Dominican native played with the Bombers from 1999-2003 before being traded to the Rangers along with Joaquin Arias for Alex Rodriguez. In 383 plate appearances for the Cubs this season, Soriano is batting .254/.287/.467 with 17 home runs.

How and old the Yank's trying to get?

 

[gangreen]

We got the All Star Team from ten years ago....

At least they are still in the playoff hunt.

 

[Hahahaha]

I'll never understand trading a player and paying for most of his contract. What's the point?

 

[HookersandIceCream]

You can tell the people that made and replied in this thread never watched a game this season

 

[god shamgod]

Soriano sucks now and the cubs are making room so junior lake can play everyday.Dejesus just came off the dl so they have too many of's

 

[Brandon M.]

I'll never understand trading a player and paying for most of his contract. What's the point?

a million saved is a million saved

 

[TheGreatShowtime]

Put him back at 2B

 

[I.V.]

How and old the Yank's trying to get?

Not much time on the deal. Chicago is paying the money, and he's an improvement on what they have.

This Yankee team is ass, but the only way you can fault the yankees for this move is if you don't watch or understand baseball.

 

[Trip]

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

They traded him away for A-Rod 10 years ago and only got 1 championship to show for it He was one of my favorite players and I was salty for a minute that they had to give him up.

 

[Liquid]

They traded him away for A-Rod 10 years ago and only got 1 championship to show for it He was one of my favorite players and I was salty for a minute that they had to give him up.

The Yankees probably don't win that 1 championship if A-Rod did not go wild in that postseason.

I think its a good move all things considered...low prospect and not paying much. They need help in the power department, especially from the right side. This pretty much confirms that A-Rod will never play on the Yankees again.

 

[Da King]

They traded him away for A-Rod 10 years ago and only got 1 championship to show for it He was one of my favorite players and I was salty for a minute that they had to give him up.

stupid ass nikka, Arod single handedly won the only title in the last 10 years for the Yankees

 

[Ethnic Vagina Finder]

stupid ass nikka, Arod single handedly won the only title in the last 10 years for the Yankees

At what cost. Over a quarter of a billion for one title. It's not like they weren't getting to the post season before he came. Cano took 2nd base so it worked out in the long run. I think they got arod to stick it to the Red Sox but. That's just me. I don't think it was worth it.

 

[NYC Rebel]

He was a Mariano blown save away from being a Yankee legend

 

[Da King]

He was a Mariano blown save away from being a Yankee legend

this, Mariano cost Arod another chip