A source tells me the Cubs and Tigers have been working away at a deal for Alfonso Soriano for some time. The Tigers are looking for a middle-of-the-order bat, and wouldn’t mind picking up a bench piece like Tony Campana in the process. The Cubs would love to move Soriano in the right deal, but actually aren’t all that crazy about including Campana as a throw-in. They’d rather include someone like Luis Valbuena.
The money is obviously a significant hurdle in the deal, as are Soriano’s no-trade rights. At this moment, it is unclear whether Soriano would waive his no-trade rights in a deal to Detroit (though the Cubs do know which teams Soriano would go to).
Although Soriano is the kind of player who could be moved in August, you have to make the deal when it’s available to you. The Tigers, for example, might move on.
As a bit of confirmation, 15 minutes after I reported the above on Twitter, Dave Kaplan reported the same. We must have good sources.
UPDATE: MLBN now talking all about this rumor (from Kap, not me, which is totally fine).
UPDATE 2 (at 2:24pm CT): Bob Nightengale says the deal won’t happen before the deadline, but talks could continue into August. It was going to be very tough to put this together today.