Assuming Mo is back, I am convinced Soriano will in fact opt out now which I would have found to be a ridiculous proposition even early in this season...He looks like a completely different player when closing versus a set-up guy....

Glad we have him this year and he is going to be tough to replace but it will free up 14M for the books next season....

I'm not that worried about Soriano opting out, if he indeed does. Kind of like in '96 when John Wetteland left us and we had Mariano ready to take his place. I look for Mo to pitch one more year and then for Robertson to step in and take his place. I'm not saying Robertson will be Mo, (nobody could be) but Robertson will be a great closer.

It seems like a friendly separation is in the cards....Soriano can go get a 3 year deal as a closer and the Yankees have Robertson, Joba and Aardsma all under contract already to supplement MO....

I am not starting this in any way to diminish how awesome Soriano has been, he has been unreal, just illustrating how baseball can change so dramatically....at the beginning of this season I would have found it to be preposterous to think Soriano would be opting out of a 14M salary for next season, now it seems almost like a done deal he will....

I would think so. He's a different guy closing. And he should close.

xxL

Yup, with the Yankees trying to get under the $189 mark, the last thing they're going to do is try to up Soriano's contract. If he opts out, which he probably will, they'll let him go.

If Mo retires I think Soriano will stay, if Mo does not retire I think there would be less then a .00001% chance he would agree to return to be a set-up guy, why would he when he could be doing what he loves to do, close, somewhere else, when you know someone would give him at least a 3 year deal?

Your Yankee loyalty has your judgement clouded on this one...

I am certain mo will be back. Which will most likely be his last year. I really do hope Sori will stay though. He is doing a fantastic job.

<You would not know rational thought if it bit you in the ass

here is what it looks like:

<http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?sr=y&msg=496541.21&nav=messages&webtag=ml-yankees

By the way, to clarify, I would love it if Soriano did come back, I think he is an awesome pitcher and I am thrilled he is on this team. I just would be very surprised if it happens now but who knows?? If Mo decides to not return then everything changes, again....

A lot thought CC would opt out last year and try to fish the market, but ended up not doing so and simply signing and extension. Soriarion is obviously different, but it's impossible to predict.

I think regardless of whether MO retires or not that Soriano will OPT OUT. It's the only way he can assure himself of another long term contract somewhere. If he stays and Mo returns then he has nothing to sell after 2013. If he stays and Mo doesn't return he knows that there is a 2014 Cap that isn't going to include him. So I think that he's gone after this year in order to find himself a better deal.

I'd have to agree with all that.

Well it would seem the logical thing for him to do. And he has to OPT OUT before he can talk to anyone which means the Yanks can wait till the beginning of Feb to resign MO. That could leave Sori hanging out there at a very bad time. So I think unless assurances are made to him that he's the closer for next year no matter what that he has no choice than to get his resume on the street early so teams know he's available.

NO way is Cashman going to sign Soriano for an extension for big bucks while he's trying to get under $189M. He'll go with Robertson first.

Mo rides into the sunset after next year. Also next year, Montgomery comes up and he and drob battle to be the next yankee closer in 2014

Exactly and thats why I think Sori opts out when this year is over.