With news breaking today that Melky Cabrera would miss the remainder of the season after being suspended for a failed drug test, would the San Francisco Giants find renewed interest in Alfonso Soriano? Doug Padilla of ESPN Chicago believes so, even though Soriano initially turned down any trade possibilities to the Giants when the July 31 deadline was approaching.
The Giants have a desperate need for an outfielder now that Cabrera is lost of the season, with the veteran Soriano being one of the more intriguing options to replace him. The problem now, as it was in July, is that Soriano has expressed relatively little interest in playing at a park that essentially takes away power from hitters with its expansive outfield dimensions.
Soriano is hitting .263 this season with a .810 OPS, also putting up 21 home runs and 71 RBIs so far this year with the Cubs.
For a trade to happen now, any player involved would have to pass through waivers first. As such, the Giants could conceivably claim Soriano and his $19 million price tag over the next two seasons. If the Cubs decide to pull Soriano back if he is claimed to try and get some assets in a trade, Soriano would then be able to veto the trade with his 10-and-five rights.
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