Thursday, July 25, 2013

(UPDATE) Yankees close to re-acquiring Alfonso Soriano

Thursday, 8:00pm: According to Cubs manager Dale Sveum, the deal is "99%" complete, as Soriano has been scratched from the lineup and is saying his goodbyes. Reports say Chicago will pick up $25 million of Sori's remaining $36 million on his contract. In exchange, the Yankees are rumored to be sending prospects Joel De La Cruz and Chase Whitley to the Windy City.

Tuesday, 12:00pm: Word broke late last night via the New York Post's George King that the Yankees were close to trading for their former rookie sensation and current Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano. They would apparently surrender no more than a mid-level prospect, and Chicago would cover most of Soriano's remaining contract (2 years, $36 million) that expires next season.

However, there are conflicting reports on the potential deal. Just read what Cubs GM Jed Hoyer had to say on MLB Network Radio earlier today:

Even if a deal is reached, Soriano has 10/5 rights and can veto a trade to any team. But, it's been reported several times in the past few years that if a return to New York was on the table, Soriano would gladly accept. The 37-year old is currently batting .256 with 17 home runs, 51 RBI, and a .471 slugging percentage, a right-handed power bat which the Yankees have lacked all season.

Soriano was the Yankees' starting second baseman from 2001-2003, but was dealt to the Texas Rangers in February of 2004 for - yep, you guessed it - Alex Rodriguez. As A-Rod faces another injury and a possible suspension, Alfonso Soriano coming back now would be irony at its finest.

We will update you as more news comes in.

26 comments:

  1. Looks like Pedroia has signed a 7/100 dollar contract, and his lifetime WAR is slightly better than Cano at the same age of 29. Cano is now 30, what is a fair contract for Cano? I look at Pedroia and Kinsler who are are great 2nd basemen as only slightly below Cano. I would offer him 7/ 135 max.

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  2. Soriano will be big help to the current lineup and will likely be better than Wells & Ichiro next season. Don't like that he will count another $5M on next year's cap UNLESS they scrap $189 then I could care less what they pay him. Adding Sori, Curtis and Jeter back to the lineup will help but when I look at the strength of Boston, Tampa, Texas & Baltimore I still would have gone the other direction.

    The prospects talked about are guys like Black, Kahnle & Whitley.....all have big-time arms but are relievers which the Yankees are loaded in.I don't like giving away our young bullets on a sunk season but at least Soriano can help next yr I guess. Trying to stay positive.....

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  3. Fish this is just PLAIN STUPID! The Yankees SUCK! Anyone who thinks this is a good idea is a MORON!

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  4. Soriano will be a good addition to the Yanks, he gives them a right handed power hitter they need so badly. I look for the Yanks to win 7 out of the next 10 and get back into the race. Now might be the time to pick up Michael Young the Phillies are fading after getting swept.

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  5. I can't see this being a great deal, but the Yankees certainly needed a bat. I just can't imagine how they do any better in 2014 with a lineup filled with 35 year-old Wells, 40 year-old Ichiro, and 38 year-old Soriano.

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  6. Brian, the Yanks were hoping that one of Heathcott and Austin were going to be ready for next year. Theses additions prove that the Yankee top brass feels that they won't be ready

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  7. Well, yes, but the Yankees could afford to sign a guy like Carlos Beltran or Shin-Soo Choo had they not traded for Ichiro, Vernon Wells, and Alfonso Soriano. Granted, they are paying a fraction of Wells and Sori's deals, but that outfield offers no room for a solid, younger, and overall more productive player to be added into the mix for 2014.

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  8. Brian, good point, but I don't think the Yanks could have signed either of those players. Beltran will resign with the Cards and Choo will cost too much. I do thinks Beltran would have been perfect for the Yanks. The health of the players they have will be the key to the Yanks success next year.

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  9. If they stay healthy I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world, but by no means is it a championship, or even playoff-caliber outfield. Thank god for Gardner.

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  10. Brian D.....just a thought.
    Have read all your comments tonight. Can not argue much, with the content.
    With Ichiro, and Wells....do the Yankees try to package one, or both, in trades
    during the next five days? Are they released over the winter?
    It is true, for this team to get younger and better...they must be pushed aside.
    It all goes for naught, if Sabathia continues to circle the drain.
    Stay strong....BBB of NY will prevail.

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  11. You guys should not be assuming Wells will be here next year. Can easily just be paid off and cut.

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  12. You'd hope, but when was the last time the Yankees made a smart move?

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  13. I can't see them being worth even a sac of baseballs. But yes, we will stay together and get through this horrible season.

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  14. While it's true that the yanks are paying almost all of the $14 Million they owe Wells this year, they owe him $2.5 Million in 2014 so I'd doubt they'd throw that away. It is possible they could sign/trade for another OF for next year but if they are going for $189M they don't have the money. They now have about $14M tied up in Ichiro, Soriano & Wells next yr which is money they could have used to sign someone like Choo.

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  15. Doug, I don't think Beltran re-signing with STL is a given at all. The Cards are loaded with good young players and they are a very well-run organization who don't block their young players when they are ready.

    They have a masher in Matt Adams who is ready to take over 1B which will push Allen Craig to the OF. They also have baseball's best hitting prospect in Oscar Taveras knocking on the door in AAA.

    Beltran recently said he wants to play 3 more seasons and admitted the Hall of Fame is on his mind. He's going to want a multi-year deal in Free Agency and would be wise to go to the American League where he could get regular time at DH to rest his legs and avoid his 2nd half struggles. While I'm sure STL will offer Carlos the qualifying offer for 1 year, I don't see any way they'd offer him a 2-yr deal with Adams, Taveras, Craig, John Jay, Matt Holiday and Shane Robinson all under team control for multiple years.

    Carlos would have been a good pickup for the Yanks but with their 3 old OF/DHs already under contract for next yr, it makes it unlikely.

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  16. Exactly my point. Also, Beltran has always wanted to play for the Yankees, and if they had the money and call him, I'm sure he'd strongly consider signing with them.

    That's why these trades they've made are handicapping them, financially and physically. They already have five outfielders under contract now for 2014 - Wells, Ichy, Sori, Gardy, and Zoilo.

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  17. fishjam, I agree with everything you said, but I think Beltran has found a comfort zone with the Cards and I know he likes it there. Its more about whether the Cards want him back and his price. The Yanks have so many holes I think they wanted to full more holes rather than one. The Yanks biggest problem is their minor league players haven't progressed fast enough. Players like the B's and Austin and Heathcott can't be fast tracked, and the players they have brought up have been below average at this point.

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  18. Brian, I understand you thinking, but these players were picked to improve this year's team also, none of them are costing the Yanks that much money so they definitely have the 189 in mind.

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  19. fishjam, the money they are paying Wells and Soriano next year is back up player money not starter money, but then again the Yanks have a lot of back up players starting.

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  20. Fish, Beltran is very likely to get tendered by the Cardinals. He will most likely accept. The Cardinals probably want to keep him and put Jay and Freese on market this off season. There is no reason to expect Beltran to want to leave St Louis as that team is stacked and will be in contention for years going forward.

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  21. Fish here's to hoping Cano bolts leaving the Yankees with egg all over their face...does he go to the Mets or Phillies? Why would he want to stay when the team stinks? Everything about the Yankees stink! There is nothing good going on...so the only hope is new ownership.

    If they wanted back up players with potential they could have signed Aoki an Urrutia and others for cheap but even then they were likely deemed to expensive.

    Jagielo and Judge but work out but I have my doubts...would have preferred Phil Ervin and Ryan McMahon instead.

    The Yankees suck and the only way to get change is a complete collapse!

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  22. 100% chance STL tenders Beltran but I don't think he'll sign the tender. At the level he's playing he'll get 2 yrs at $13-15M per yr on the open market. If STL won't go 2 yrs, very strong chance he walks. Point is moot anyway, as Yanks seem intent on going for $189M so they won't get much of anything in FA.

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  23. That would really suck. He could say....look, are you guys really serious about this $189M bullshit? Because if you are, this team is going to suck for years....I'm out of here.

    I hope Judge and Jagielo work out too, but it will take at least a couple of years to see. I look at the teams in the American League and especially the AL East and the Yankees are not set up to be successful over the next 3-4 years at all. They need either a total tear down and re-build or a re-shuffle with a heavy payroll (like Boston did). Problem is ownership is looking to do neither....they are looking to keep the few useful vets they have ND lower salary......unbelievable!

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  24. fishjam, how much money do the Yanks have to spend next year if A-Rod is suspended and his money doesn' count agains't the cap. I went on Cots and looks to me that even if we sign Cano we could still have over 60 million to spend on new players. What is you projected number.

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  25. If my numbers are correct then the Yanks can sign Cano, and at least 3 other good players. Beltran, Choo, Garza, Pence, DeRosa, Kuroda, McCann, Lincecum, Arroyo, Johnson, and Morse. My 2014 line-up Gardner, Jeter, Cano, Tex, Beltran, Morse, Nunez, Romine or Murphy, Ichiro. Starters, CC, Kuroda or Garza, Nova, Pineda, Phelps, Nuno.

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  26. I'll do some math when I have some time Doug. But that sounds about right.....Think the number was somewhere around 30-40 million with ARod so take his money off and that's about right. They have quite a bit coming off the books with Mariano, Pettitte, Kuroda, Granderson, Hughes, Joba, Logan, etc. Unfortunately, you also have to replace the production of Mariano & Kuroda's.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)