Alfonso Soriano is close to becoming a New York Yankee. Again.
A trade between the Yankees and Cubs to send the 37-year-old outfielder back to the Big Apple is “99 percent done,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum told the Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan.
Soriano was scratched from the lineup for Chicago’s game Thursday night in Arizona, and he reportedly took a red-eye flight to New York overnight.
Soriano spent the first five seasons of his career with the Yankees before being traded to Texas for Alex Rodriguez in 2004. Once a perennial All-Star — he was named to the Midsummer Classic in seven consecutive seasons from 2002-08 — Soriano experienced a drop in production after joining the Cubs before rebounding last season.
In 93 games so far this year, Soriano has compiled a .254/.287/.467 slash line while leading a struggling Cubs team with 17 homers and ranking second behind Anthony Rizzo with 51 RBIs. He is expected to start in left field for the Yankees until Curtis Granderson returns from the disabled list.
The conditions of the deal have not been revealed.
