Soriano has a .263 average, an .825 OPS, 32 home runs and 108 RBI in 2012
With a 7-2 victory over Arizona on Sunday, the Chicago Cubs delayed 100 losses for at least one more day. Whether they reach that number, or finish the season with 99, the Cubs look to continue their rapid rebuilding this off-season, and that could mean trading Alfonso Soriano.
That the Cubs would love to shed Soriano’s contract, which will have two years and $36 million remaining after this season, is no secret. First-year president Theo Epstein and first-year general manager Jed Hoyer have dealt Ryan Dempster, Paul Maholm, Marlon Byrd, Geovany Soto and Reed Johnson this season. They likely would have traded right-handed starting pitcher Matt Garza had he not suffered an injury.
Soriano, who will be 37 in January, has a .263 average, an .825 OPS, 32 home runs and 108 RBI in 2012. It marks the most home runs he has belted since hitting 33 in 2007, his first season with the Cubs.
“It’s as high as it can be,” Sveum said. “Those kind of things are all (dependant ) on what you’re getting back and all those kind of things. The replacement value of that is very difficult to find.”
As Baseball News Source reported, the Cubs are building for the future around shortstop Starlin Castro, first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Darwin Barney and starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija.
Hoyer recently told the media that, although the Cubs will continue to place an emphasis on developing players in their farm system, they will also be active in the free agent market this off-season, especially with starting pitching.
Whether it is a National League team that wants to play Soriano in left field, or an American League club that has a spot open at DH, chances are he would yield the Cubs a promising prospect or two, depending on how much of his remaining deal Chicago is willing to pick up.
