Soriano wants to stay with Washington
Alfonso Soriano says he wants to stay with the Washington Nationals, but he doubts he’ll reach an agreement on a new contract before the July 31 trade deadline.
“I don’t think so. I think that my agent and the club, they have to talk a lot,” Soriano said after homering in Washington’s 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. “If we have something working, we need a little bit more time.”
The five-time All-Star said he spoke with incoming team president Stan Kasten on Thursday, but they didn’t discuss contract details. Soriano added that he doesn’t think his agent has discussed numbers with the Nationals.
He joined Washington last offseason in a trade from Texas, and the Nationals shifted him from second base to left field. Soriano is batting .288 with 31 homers, 62 RBIs and 25 steals.
Soriano is slated to become a free agent at season’s end; the Nationals figure to be able to get top prospects in return if they deal him.
Willis may be off trading block
The Florida Marlins say they aren’t looking to make any deals before the trade deadline, and that’s fine with Dontrelle Willis. The Marlins’ ace was the subject of frequent trade speculation earlier this season, but a surprising midseason surge has left the team less inclined to cut payroll.
“I really believe that we’re done trading for the year,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I think the only way we trade someone is if someone blows us away.”
Rumors always heat up as the July 31 trade deadline nears. But speculation has cooled regarding Willis, who is 5-1 since starting the season 1-6.
Showalter succumbs to heat
Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter missed Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox because of an irregular heartbeat brought on by dehydration and was expected to spend the night in the hospital.
Showalter was being treated at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where he received an IV, the team said.
Jackie Robinson honored
Jackie Robinson’s minor league debut with the Montreal Royals in 1946 was commemorated by the International League’s Ottawa Lynx, who wore throwback uniforms during their game against Norfolk to honor the team that finished 100-54 and won the Little World Series over Louisville.
A pregame ceremony was held in Ottawa with two of the late Hall of Famer’s teammates that season, pitcher Jean-Pierre Roy and outfielder George Shuba. Then the father of current Dodgers catcher Russell Martin performed the U.S. and Canadian national anthems with his saxophone.
The elder Martin was a 2-year-old living in Montreal when Robinson broke the color barrier in the International League, one year before doing the same in the majors with Brooklyn.
“I don’t know if Russ would be where he is today if it hadn’t been for Jackie Robinson,” said Martin. “He was an inspiration to me and that’s where my love and passion for baseball began.”