MLB Rumors: Yankees Talking with Rafael Soriano, Who is Willing to Setup

Via Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated:

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Yankees are in contact with Rafael Soriano, who had 45 saves for the Rays but would set up for Mariano Rivera in NY.

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Also, Andrew Marchand of ESPN NY passed this along:

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Free-agent closer Rafael Soriano led the majors in saves last year, but he would consider being a setup man for one team in baseball—The New York Yankees.

“That door is open for a number of different reasons,” Soriano’s agent, Scott Boras, told ESPNNewYork.com.

“I don’t think there is a team in baseball where he could be asked to be a setup guy other than the Yankees,” Boras said.

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This might becoming a more realistic option because the Yankees have plenty of money to spend and there doesn’t seem to be a lot of interest in Soriano this offseason. The White Sox are supposedly interested, but don’t appear to have the money to pay him.

So it’s possible that Boras himself approached the Yankees with the idea.

Earlier today, I wrote about the idea of signing Soriano to a one-year contract, which would minimize the impact of losing a draft pick when signing him. In that scenario the Yankees could ideally get their own draft pick if they choose not to re-sign him a year from now.

Related Stories

• January 6, 2011 -- Heyman Continues His Drumbeat on Soriano to the Yankees
• January 5, 2011 -- Rumors: Yankees Could Sign Soriano if Pettitte Retires
• January 4, 2011 -- Rumors: Yankees Not Interested in Soriano or Balfour
• January 3, 2011 -- Yankees Rumors: No Interest in Soriano, Keppinger Talks Fell Apart