Report: Alfonso Soriano expects to sit out remainder of season with eye on 2015 return

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When the New York Yankees cut ties with Alfonso Soriano a few weeks ago, there was a thought he would land on his feet with another major league club. The Toronto Blue Jays, for example, "checked on" him.

But with a .221/.244/.367 batting line and an eye towards making an impact in a full-time role in 2015, Soriano has apparently ruled out signing on with a team for the stretch run this season.

This news comes via Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

Seven-time All-Star Alfonso Soriano, released by the Yankees earlier this month, has told friends he expects to take the rest of this season off, then consider next season whether to return to play in the majors.
...
Soriano also isn't sure he's cut out to be a part-time player, as he was this year with the Yankees. 

Soriano will be 39 when next season begins, so he'll likely have to earn his way onto a roster through a strong spring performance rather than being gifted a spot on reputation. He was, however, a productive player as recently as 2013, when he hit .255/.302/.489 and was worth 2.9 wins above replacement.

Should this mark the end for Soriano's career, he'd retire with a .270/.319/.500 line with 412 home runs, 1,152 runs scored, 1,159 RBI and 289 stolen bases, making him one of just 18 players in league history with 250-250-1000-1000 and one of just six with 400 home runs and 250 steals.