Alfonso Soriano is not in Friday's lineup against the Reds.

He's just getting a breather. Ryan Sweeney will make the start in left field.

Alfonso Soriano went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer Monday in the rout of the Rockies.

Soriano is hitting .317 with three homers and 10 RBI in 10 games this month after finishing with just two RBI in a dreary April.

Alfonso Soriano is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Cardinals.

The Cubs have an off-day on Thursday, so Soriano will actually get two days of rest. Ryan Sweeney is starting in left field Wednesday.

Alfonso Soriano was single-handedly responsible for all of the Cubs' offense on Saturday, clubbing a pair of two-run homers in a losing effort against the Reds.

Soriano got the Cubs offense started with a bang, smacking two-run homers off Tony Cingrani in each of his first two at-bats. A perennially slow starter, Soriano has already hit more homers in three games in May than he did the entire month of April. He may not be an asset in batting average, but he remains a steady and consistent source of power and run production.

Alfonso Soriano is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Padres.

It's not injury-related, as he's just getting the day off. Julio Borbon will start in left field Wednesday.

Alfonso Soriano isn't in Wednesday's starting lineup against the Reds.

This is Soriano's first day off this season. Julio Borbon is starting in left field and hitting second.

Alfonso Soriano has one home run through his first 18 games this season.

Soriano didn't hit his first home run last season until May 15, but he still ended up with 32 for the year. The Cubs will have to hope that he has another power surge in him, as they would love to find a taker around the trade deadline.

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer, his third big fly of the spring, as the Cubs beat the Rangers 5-4 on Tuesday.

Soriano's two-run blast came courtesy of Alexi Ogando in the first inning. The veteran outfielder is having a solid spring to this point, now hitting .286/.342/.629 with three bombs and seven RBI. While he's unlikely to be a positive in batting average, he shouldn't have any problem delivering decent power totals again in 2013, making him a nice target in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

ESPN's Buster Olney reports that the Cubs have made it clear they would be willing to cover "a whole lot" of the $36 million owed to Alfonso Soriano for next two seasons.

It's not breaking news, but suggests that the Cubs could be picking up their efforts to trade Soriano before the start of the season. Soriano has a full no-trade clause and is signed through 2014. ESPN Chicago reported that there were "six or seven" teams he would approve as potential landing spots if he's moved.

Alfonso Soriano has given the Cubs a list of "six or seven" teams that he would be willing to accept a trade to.

Soriano doesn't want to be traded to the west coast, as he said the clubs are in the "east or center" of the country. "[The Cubs] know what teams," Soriano said. "We talked, my agent talked with those guys." The Cubs are reportedly willing to eat about $26 million of the $36 million remaining on Soriano's contract if they receive the right package in return.

Alfonso Soriano said he's hoping to finish out the last two years of his contract with the Cubs.

"I want to finish my career here and try to win before I retire," he said. "I hope to stay here, and when they win, I want to be part of that team." Soriano, of course, has been subject to trade speculation all offseason. The Cubs are reportedly willing to eat about $26 million of the $36 million remaining on his contract if they can move him for a prospect.

Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports that Alfonso Soriano has declined an invitation to participate for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

Soriano politely declined, stating his desire to remain with his team. The veteran outfielder needs more time in spring training to prepare for the regular season, and didn't want that to be disrupted.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that the Cubs "will need a player of note in return" if they're going to trade Alfonso Soriano and assume a majority of his contract.

Cafardo says that Cubs president Theo Epstein "has come to realize what a tremendous teammate Soriano is and how willing he is to help younger players," which has enhanced the outfielder's value in Epstein's eyes. The report adds that Soriano will only accept a trade to an East Coast club.

According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Cubs would eat about $26 million of the $36 million remaining on Alfonso Soriano's contract if they can get a prospect.

The Cubs have been shopping the 36-year-old outfielder all winter, hoping that his productive 2012 campaign will yield a decent return. The Phillies have discussed different trade scenarios, but it doesn't sound like anything is close. Soriano batted .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI in 151 games this past season for Chicago.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reports that the Phillies are "kicking around" a potential trade for Alfonso Soriano, but it's a "long shot" to happen.

Stark says they were "initially uninterested" when the Cubs first approached them about Soriano, but they're at least now giving it some thought. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman says one scenario would involve Domonic Brown heading to the Cubs straight up for Soriano, which would be a pretty terrible deal for the Phillies even if Chicago picked up a big chunk of Soriano's deal.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Phillies have explored a trade for the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano.

One scenario would involve Domonic Brown heading to Chicago straight up for the veteran outfielder, but Heyman thinks that's unlikely to happen. Soriano, 36, batted .262/.322/.499 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI in 151 games this past summer for the Cubs. He's owed a total of $36 million over the next two seasons.

According to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Cubs plan on speaking to other teams about outfielder Alfonso Soriano during the upcoming Winter Meetings.

Even if there are interested parties, a deal could prove to be complicated as Soriano still has a full no-trade clause and is owed $36 million over the next two seasons. The 36-year-old is coming off a resurgent season in which he hit .262/.322/.499 with 32 homers and 108 RBI. But that's an awfully lot of money, and Soriano will have to approve the destination.

Alfonso Soriano told Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com that he's open to a trade.

"It depends on how long and if they want to rebuild for next year then I'll be here," said Soriano. "But if they want to take longer than two years, they have to think about moving (me) out to another team to win quickly. I said two more years on the contract and maybe I will retire after that so I want one more shot to go to the World Series before I retire." Soriano enjoyed a resurgent season this year, but is still owed $18 million in each of the next two seasons. The Cubs would likely have to absorb some of his remaining salary in order to find a taker.

Alfonso Soriano is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's season finale.

Other notable regulars like Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney and David DeJesus are also sitting. Soriano will finish the year with over 30 homers and 100 RBI for the first time since 2005. He turns 37 in January and is still owed $18 million over the next two seasons.

Alfonso Soriano hit his 31st home run of the season in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.

Soriano's solo shot in the sixth inning pushed the Cubs to within one run of the visiting Redbirds, but that's as close as they would get. The veteran outfielder is batting .263/.317/.504 with a whopping 105 RBI.