Closer Mariano Rivera’s return to the Yankees takes care of the ninth inning.
Yet agent Scott Boras does not believe it definitely signals the end of Rafael Soriano’s Yankees career.
“I can only say the Yankees told us they were interested in signing Soriano while expecting Rivera to come back,” Boras said yesterday, adding he has talked to the Yankees once since the right-handed reliever opted out of the final year of his three-year deal that would have paid him $14 million.
Soriano was invaluable to the Yankees this past season when he stepped in as closer after Rivera’s season ended with a torn ACL in May, but he would be very expensive for a setup man.
The Yankees made Soriano a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer last week, and he has until Friday to accept it for a virtual raise of $800,000 including his $1.5 million buyout. Even if he declines it, though, he can continue to negotiate a free-agent contract with the Yankees.
Rivera ended speculation he may head into retirement when he told general manager Brian Cashman on Friday he wanted to return. The Yankees are expected to work out contract terms with Rivera soon — but Boras is confident the Yankees still could use the 32-year-old Soriano, especially because Rivera turns 43 this month and is coming off surgery.
“It was a correct decision two years ago to sign Soriano to provide depth, and Mariano was younger,” Boras said. “Soriano saved [42] games and Mariano is two years older. It was a wise move then and a wiser move now.”
But with other contenders seemingly in need of a closer — such as the Tigers — Soriano probably won’t come cheap.