Bronx, NY – Alfonso Soriano has officially returned to the franchise with which he began his major league career.
The New York Yankees acquired the 37-year-old outfielder from the Chicago Cubs on Friday in exchange for Corey Black, a minor league pitcher.
Years removed from his prime, Soriano has proven he can still hit the long ball. He clubbed 17 homers and drove in 51 runs while batting .254 over 93 games with the Cubs this season.
The seven-time All-Star reached the majors in 1999 and spent the first five years of his career with the Yankees before being dealt to the Texas Rangers for Alex Rodriguez. After two years with the Rangers, he was shipped to the Washington Nationals before signing a massive free-agent deal with the Cubs in Nov. 2006.
Soriano started in left field and went 0-for-5 with an RBI in Friday's 10-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He had some chances to contribute offensively after the Rays took their big lead. He flied out to center in his first at-bat in the second and then came up with the bases full in the third, but after working the count full flied out to right field to end the frame. In the ninth, he drove in a run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice.
During his career, the .272 lifetime hitter has amassed 389 home runs and 1,087 RBI.
Black, 21, has made 19 starts with Single-A Tampa this year, going 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA. The right-hander was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2012 draft.
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