Slugger Alfonso Soriano: 'The Yankees Are On My List'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has a list of all the MLB teams that he would waive his no-trade clause to join.
"I have a list," Soriano told reporters. "The Yankees are on the list. I talked to my family and my family supports me in any kind of decision that I make. It's good to hear that from my family, especially from my wife. My wife said any decision you make I will support."
The Yankees have been pursuing Soriano in hopes of bringing a bat into their lineup that has been severely diminished due to injuries. The 37-year-old is currently batting .254 with 51 RBIs. This month, however, Soriano has hit eight home runs and driven in 16 runs.
On Thursday night WFAN's Jon Heyman reported the Yankees and Cubs were getting closer to a deal and that a trade could possibly be consummated Friday.
The Cubs have attempted to trade the 14-year veteran twice this season, but both times Soriano elected not to waive his no-trade clause. However, the outfielder seems to like the idea of returning to the team where he started his MLB career.
"It was great when I used to be with the Yankees," Soriano said. "My best friend with the team is (Derek) Jeter and he's still there. Mariano (Rivera) is still there too. And me and (Robinson) Cano are good friends, too, because we're from the same town. I could feel very good with the Yankees because I've been part of the family before with them."
Soriano's $136 million, eight-year contract with the Cubs, which was agreed upon in 2007, still has $25 million left on it and it expires after the 2014 season. While he feels attached to the Cubs, the seven-time All-Star wants the opportunity to win his third World Series.
"I wanted to stay here for the rest of my contract, but at the same time I want another chance to get into the playoffs and the World Series," Soriano said. "I would have been very happy if we were playing better here with a chance to go to the playoffs, but it's not. I am 37, so I'd like one more chance to go to the World Series. They're preparing to win in 2015, and that's too late for me. I've tried to be a champion here, but now it seems I have to do that for another team."
Soriano remains patient with the Cubs as they look for an agreeable deal. He even asked president of baseball operations Theo Epstein for a couple of days to think about his decision.
"He asked us for a couple of days," Epstein told ESPN.com. "He will let us know where he will go, if anywhere. At that point it will be up to us if we want to move forward with finalizing a deal."
"There's no rush right now," the outfielder said. "There's six or seven days left (until the July 31 trade deadline), so they want to make sure they get the best offer and that's OK with me."
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