NO. 1 FAN: A young fan welcomes Alfonso Soriano back to The Bronx last night after he was traded to the Yankees by the Cubs yesterday. (Jeff Zelevansky)
HOME AGAIN: Alfonso Soriano takes his first cuts in Yankees pinstripes in 10 years during last night’s 10-6 loss to the Rays at the Stadium. (
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During batting practice yesterday, Alfonso Soriano hugged Ichiro Suzuki and Robinson Cano. He later took the field wearing his pinstriped No. 12 from a decade ago.
“This is my house, my home. I’m happy that I’m back,” Soriano said. “After 10 years, never too late.”
Indeed, a decade after last playing for the Yankees in 2003 and being shipped to Texas in the Alex Rodriguez mega-deal the following winter, Soriano returned to The Bronx yesterday. The 37-year-old, who came through the minors with the Yankees and was a regular for them from 2001-03, was officially acquired from the Cubs for Class-A right-hander Corey Black, a 2012 fourth-round pick.
The Yankees are paying a prorated $5 million on Soriano’s contract this season and will also pay $5 million of his $18 million salary next year. Manager Joe Girardi said the slugger will both play left field and act as the DH, and in his second Yankees’ debut last night, Soriano played left and batted cleanup.
Soriano’s comeback was tough, as he went 0-for-5 with an RBI in the Rays’ 10-6 romp. He missed two chances for big moments — he popped out to right with the bases loaded in the third and had a run-scoring groundout with the bases loaded in the ninth.
“By far he is the best available bat to date,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “I think there might be some other bats that may become available here over time as well. I don’t know if I can predict whether we can secure those guys, because obviously you’re going to be in competition in terms of getting them.
“But this is one that was a match that we could make with the Cubs, and a player who had been here before and loved being here, was very interested in returning. We got the bird in the hand, and I know we’re going to be better for it.”
Soriano, a seven-time All-Star who had 17 homers and 10 steals this season with the Cubs, grabbed his old No. 12 from Vernon Wells, who willingly forked it over. As Wells explained, “It’s a number he’s worn his entire career and deserves the right to finish in it.”
The only current Yankees with whom Soriano played during his first tenure are Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. But Soriano also was a Ranger with Mark Teixeira, and the first baseman yesterday called him “one of my favorite teammates of all time.”
“Happy to have the opportunity to come back to New York, where I started my career,” Soriano said. “I’m happy to help them make the playoffs.”
“He’s not the same player he used to be,” Cashman said of the former 40-40 star, “but he certainly provides some thunder from the right side that we are lacking.”
— Additional reporting
by Joel Sherman and Dan Martin