Alfonso Soriano was pulled from the Chicago Cubs’ lineup on Thursday to ensure no hitches in the team’s effort to trade the outfielder back to the New York Yankees, and it looks like the long talked-about deal is finally going through.
CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney reported on Thursday night that Soriano addressed his Cubs teammates and coaches in the clubhouse following the team’s 3-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.
Earlier this week, Soriano agreed to waive his no-trade clause to clear the way for a trade to the Yankees. The left fielder is batting .254/.287/.467 with 17 home runs for the Cubs this season. Soriano has hit at least 20 home runs each of the last 11 seasons, but he hasn’t batted above .262 since 2008.
Soriano played for the Yankees from 1999-2003. He developed into a star when he posted back-to-back 30-30 seasons for the Yankees in ’02 and ’03 (he missed 40-40 by a home run in ’02). He was traded to the Texas Rangers in the Alex Rodriguez deal before the 2004 season.
Soriano is in the second-to-last year of an eight-year, $136 million deal. He is owed $18 million next year and still owed around $6 million this season. The Yankees are expected to pay a chunk of his salary.
Cubs outfielder Julio Borbon confirmed the trade in a few goodbye tweets:
Alfonso Soriano: one of the best teammates I've ever had, class act and leader, learned a lot from him in our short time playing together
— Julio Borbón (@JulioBorbon20) July 26, 2013
Will definitely miss him and wish him the best of luck the rest of his career! It was an honor to have played next to him!
— Julio Borbón (@JulioBorbon20) July 26, 2013
