Alfonso Soriano (Paul J. Bereswill)
ARLINGTON — In dire need of a bat with thump and an indication the Yankees may believe that Alex Rodriguez isn’t going to play this season, the toothless Bombers are close to acquiring Alfonso Soriano from the Cubs, The Post has learned.
According to a person familiar with the talks, the Cubs will pay the bulk of what is left on Soriano’s contract. He makes $18 million this year and the same for next season.
Like they did in the Vernon Wells deal, whatever the Yankees pay will be laid out for the little more than the $6 million remaining Soriano’s contract this season. That way the Yankees aren’t on the hook for money next year when they want to get the payroll to $189 million. Soriano has a no-trade clause, but he would not block a deal to put him back in Pinstripes.
In return the Cubs will get a mid-level prospect.
Asked last night about the deal, GM Brian Cashman said, “I wouldn’t comment on that.’’
The 37-year-old Soriano’s best years — some of which were spent with the Yankees from 1999 to 2003 — are behind him. Yet have you watched the Yankees hit lately?
Derek Jeter has.
“It’s tough. We put way too much pressure on our pitchers,’’ Jeter said following last night’s 3-0 loss to the Rangers in which the Yankees collected three singles against Yu Darvish and three relievers in the Yankees fifth loss in six games. “You can’t sugar coat it, we have to find ways to score runs.’’
Soriano isn’t going to lift the Yankees out of a very deep hitting funk, but he can’t drag down a lineup that is close to hitting rock bottom which would be the only thing the Yankees hit recently.
Soriano is batting .259 with 17 homers and 51 RBIs for the Cubs. Those 17 homers would be second to Robinson Cano’s 21 among Yankees, who have combined for 88 home runs.
He has 389 career homers, has driven in 1,086 runs and possesses a career OPS of .825. That is down to .765 this season.
An infielder when he first arrived in the big leagues in 1999, Soriano has played left field for years and would likely replace Wells, a better defender, in left. That could shift Wells to the DH spot against lefties. He could also play right field when Joe Girardi wants to rest Ichiro Suzuki.
What happens when Curtis Granderson returns isn’t clear, but with the luck the Yankees haven’t had with injured returning players, it’s obvious the Yankees believe help is needed immediately. The Yankees have targeted the first week of August for Granderson’s return from a fractured left pinkie.
While the Yankees refuse to address the very real prospect Rodriguez won’t play this year, getting Soriano might cover what Rodriguez, with two surgically repaired hips, could have provided.
Rodriguez is on the DL with a strained left quad and has MLB’s investigation into the Biogenesis mess hanging heavy over his head in the wake of yesterday’s shocking news Ryan Braun accepted a 65-game suspension from MLB. Many believe MLB has more evidence from Biogenesis on Rodriguez than they did on Braun.
The downside to Soriano, who was dealt from the Yankees to Texas for Rodriguez before the 2004 season, is that he strikes out often and is a below-average defender. He also doesn’t steal bases like he used to. After swiping 41 in 2002 and 41 in 2006, he hasn’t reached 20 since 2006.
george.king@nypost.com