Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano and reliever Carlos Marmol have cleared waivers, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has cleared waivers and is eligible to be traded anywhere (provided he gives his approval). Soriano could help a number of teams. He is hitting .264 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI, with all of the homers coming since May 15.
Carlos Marmol also has cleared waivers.
With large sums of money still owed to both players, especially on Soriano's end, their clearing of waivers was entirely expected. The club can now work out a trade with any team provided it acquires other players who have cleared waivers or are not on the 40-man roster.
Heyman speculates that the San Francisco Giants would be a perfect fit for Soriano given the impact of Melky Cabrera's drug suspension, but Toni Ginetti of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that Soriano does not want to go San Francisco because "it's not good weather to play in".
As a player with 10-to-5 rights, Soriano has the power to veto a trade to any team. The outfielder already vetoed a trade to the Giants at the trade deadline, but that does not mean he will not change his mind. With Soriano owed a little over $36 million through 2014, the Cubs will probably have to eat most of his salary to attract potential bidders.
Marmol, 29, is still owed $9.8 million next season and has put up dreadful numbers that have likely hurt his trade value. The right-hander owns a 4.46 ERA and 11.1 K/9, but has an MLB-worst 8.4 BB/9.
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Would Soriano be a good fit for the Giants?
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