Alfonso Soriano deal to Phillies now 'longshot' to happen

The Philadelphia Phillies are entertaining a trade for Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano, but ESPN's Jayson Stark said Tuesday it's a "longshot":

#Phillies were initially uninterested when #Cubs approached them on Soriano. Now kicking it around but a long shot to actually happen.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) December 11, 2012

The Phillies need an outfielder and a substantial bat, so Soriano could fit the bill. Soriano, 36, had one of his best seasons in recent memory last year. He batted .262 with an .821 OPS and 32 home runs. He played in 151 games, which was his most since 2006 with the Washington Nationals.

While Soriano might have a suitable bat, he is a bad defender in the outfield and has a heavy pricetag.

Soriano is due $36 million over the next two seasons. He is the highest paid player on the Cubs, so Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer would most likely love to free up some budget space with a trade.

The Phillies are reportedly still interested in top free agent Josh Hamilton. If the Phillies sign Hamilton, they would likely be out of the running for Soriano.