*The Alfonso Soriano speculation continues. Bruce Levine reiterates that the Cubs would be willing to eat 80% of the remaining $54 million (over three years) owed to Soriano, and Jim Bowden says the Tigers should consider Soriano to replace Victor Martinez. Thing is? I’m told that, when the Cubs contacted the Tigers about Soriano after learning of the Martinez injury, the Tigers wanted the Cubs to eat 95% of his remaining salary. Yo.
*The primary issue teams have with Soriano? It’s those three years. Now, you can say it’s all money, so the years don’t really matter. But here’s why they do: a number of teams are willing to take Soriano on at $5 or $6 million in 2012. But 2013 and 2014? They aren’t crazy about taking him on for *any* amount. So, what you’re left with is a number of teams wanting the Cubs to eat 90 to 95% of the deal (to yield a “fair” contract in 2012, and “no” contract in 2013/14). It’s a matter of perspective, but the upshot is: unless the Cubs are willing to eat $48 to $50 million of Soriano’s deal, it will remain a near impossibility to trade him.
*John Arguello from the very well-done Cubs Den reported yesterday that the Cubs had actually managed to secure a Soriano trade with the Orioles earlier in the week, but Soriano nixed it by way of his no-trade rights (with not-so-coincident reports that Soriano would accept a trade only to a contender). To the extent you’re reach for your torch, let me offer you two shots of relax: (1) it’s hard to blame Soriano, who knows he’s on his last contract, for wanting to be where he wants to be in his latter years; (2) I checked with a source on the report, and, while it’s true that the Cubs and O’s discussed Soriano, it didn’t quite get to the stage of exchanging names/dollar amounts. Before the two sides got to that stage, the Cubs checked in on Soriano’s thoughts, and he indicated that he wouldn’t be accepting a trade to Baltimore. So things ended before they really got anywhere.
I think AJ could be useful for a couple seasons though.
