In a deal approved Friday morning, the Yankees have officially acquired outfielder, Alfonso Soriano, from the Chicago Cubs. The acquisition has been rumored for weeks but hinged on multiple obstacles ranging from Soriano waiving his no-trade clause to how much money would be exchanged to which prospect the Yankees would give up.
The former Yankees’ prospect will fit nicely into the current New York lineup and will likely bat cleanup on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Robinson Cano and Lyle Overbay, both lefties, have been the only consistant hitters to produce and Soriano’s right-handed power bat is an obvious fit between them.
For New York, it means much needed power from a player who can play in the outfield and at DH which may be where Soriano sees significant time against lefties.
New York is going to surrender a second tier relief prospect in the deal, with early reports indicating the Cubs are leaning towards Corey Black. If true, Black is a smaller frame but is rumored to reach close to triple digits at times and has the ceiling of a major league reliever.
This move more or less implies the guaranteed ending of Curtis Granderson‘s tenure in pinstripes after this season when he is set for Free Agency and things could get crowded if he returns at some point before September.
Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki and Vernon Wells are also under contract in 2014 for the Bronx Bombers and all four, including Soriano, are due for free agency after next season.
