Alfonso Soriano went 2-for-3 with a home run, run scored and two RBI in Monday's win over the Reds.

The home run was already Soriano's fourth of the spring, while he's now hitting a cool .571. Soriano hit just .219/.231/.406 before posting a .258/.278/.613 line in April.

Alfonso Soriano stayed hot Thursday, launching a solo homer against the Mariners.

Soriano admired the moonshot as it went off the batter's eye in center field. The absurdity of glaring at spring training homers aside, Soriano has belted three already early on in camp. He's likely to hit in the middle of the Cubs order this season but is also being considered for the leadoff spot.

Alfonso Soriano had a big day Tuesday, ripping a pair of homers while also adding a double in a win over the Rockies.

Brett Jackson also went deep for the Cubbies. The Cubs are toying with the idea of batting Soriano leadoff this season, but he was hitting cleanup Tuesday and certainly looked the part of a middle-of-the-order slugger. The veteran outfielder batted .244 with a .759 OPS in 2011.

Alfonso Soriano said Friday that he is open to batting leadoff this season.

"I'm open to any decision [Sveum] makes," said Soriano, who was at the top of the order for an intrasquad scrimmage Friday. The Cubs don't have a bona fide leadoff man, but Soriano's .305 on-base percentage over the past three seasons isn't going to cut it. We ultimately think David DeJesus will slot into the leadoff spot and the high-priced Soriano will bat in the middle of the lineup.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum said he's considering batting either Alfonso Soriano or Bryan LaHair in the cleanup spot.

``[Soriano's] the most prolific guy in our lineup who's done it before,'' Sveum said. ``He's a big part of this lineup who's got to produce.'' Cubs fans probably don't like the idea of having Soriano in the cleanup spot, but the reality is that they don't really have many alternatives. The 36-year-old batted .244 with a .759 OPS in 2011.

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said Thursday that Alfonso Soriano is doubtful to be traded before spring training.

"I think that's unlikely (that he'll start the season with another team)," Hoyer told The Carmen, Jurko & Harry Show on ESPN 1000. "Our hope is obviously you want him to get on base a little more. The power was there last year, the RBIs were there." Soriano, 36, batted .244 with a .759 OPS in 2011. The Orioles expressed some interest in him this winter, but trade talks didn't get far.

The Orioles have not had any ''substantive talks'' with the Cubs about acquiring Alfonso Soriano, according to FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

ESPN's Bruce Levine reported that Soriano would only consider waiving his no-trade clause if the Cubs deal him to a contender, so he might not be a realistic option for the Orioles regardless. Chicago still owes $54 million over the next three years of his contract and will reportedly pay most of that salary in any potential deal. According to a league source, as many as eight teams have expressed interest in Soriano this offseason, most of which are in the American League.

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune suggests the Cubs could ask for Brian Roberts in return for Alfonso Soriano.

Roberts has fallen out of favor with the Orioles and is owed $10 million for each of the next two seasons. The Tribune speculates that a reasonable deal could have the Cubs sending Soriano and $9 million for Roberts and a prospect or two, assuming that both players would be willing to waive their no-trade clause. Given the amount of money still owed on Soriano's contract, Chicago's only option may be to take on a bad contract in any potential trade. Roberts played just 39 games last season, but would offer short-term value if he's able to bounce back from his post-concussion syndrome.

Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports that the Orioles have spoken to the Cubs about a potential trade involving Alfonso Soriano.

Kubatko cautions that the talks "may not have gone far" and it's not clear if there's still any dialogue between the two clubs. ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine reported Thursday that the Cubs have spoken to eight AL teams about Soriano, while FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal says they couldn't find a match after talking to "a few teams." The O's would likely want Soriano as a DH, though it doesn't appear that the 36-year-old is close to being dealt anywhere at this point.

According to ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine, the Cubs have spoken to eight AL teams about Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano is owed $54 million over the next three years, but the Cubs are telling teams that they are willing to eat half of that. The 35-year-old outfielder batted .244 with a .759 OPS in 2011. He's a better fit for an American League team than an NL club because he would be able to DH.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that the Red Sox are not interested in Alfonso Soriano.

The Cubs just unloaded Carlos Zambrano (and most of his 2012 salary) on the Marlins, but finding a willing trade partner for Soriano will be a very tall order. Previous reports have indicated the the Cubs are willing to cover half of the $54 million left on his contract, but the reality is they'd probably have to do better than that. Soriano, who turns 36 on Saturday, batted .244/.289/.469 with 26 homers and a .759 OPS in 2011.

The Cubs are "trying to interest" the Orioles in Alfonso Soriano, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

It's going to be quite a hard sell. Even if the Cubs are willing to eat half of the $54 million remaining on Soriano's deal, he'd be owed around $9 million over the next three seasons. On top of that, he batted just .244 with a .289 on-base percentage in 2011 and isn't much of a defender in the outfield.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Cubs are getting "a bit of interest" in Alfonso Soriano.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-times heard Sunday that the Cubs might be willing to eat half of the $54 million remaining on Soriano's contract, and that stance has clearly sparked some trade interest. Soriano batted just .244/.289/.469 with 26 homers and 88 RBI this past year for the Cubs. He'd be a better fit in the Ameircan League, where could DH from time to time.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-times thinks the Cubs would be willing to eat more than half of Alfonso Soriano's remaining salary in a potential trade.

That's noble of them, but even if you cut the $54 million remaining on Soriano's deal in half, any team that gets him would still have to pay him an average of $9 million over the next three seasons. They'd also have to give up a prospect or two, though it surely wouldn't be anyone of major consequence in what would be a salary dump deal for the Cubs. If Soriano is dealt, the defensively-challenged outfielder would be a better fit as a DH with an American League club. Soriano does have a no-trade clause, but Wittenmyer says he's indicated a willingness to waive it.

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, teams are "kicking the tires" on Alfonso Soriano.

It's a bit hard to believe given that Soriano is owed $54 million over the next three seasons, but perhaps the Cubs are willing to eat a significant portion of that money. The 35-year-old batted .244/.289/.469 this past year with 26 home runs and 88 RBI. He'd be a better fit for an American League team, so that he could DH at times.

The Cubs are still undecided as to whether they want to ship the final three years of Alfonso Soriano's 8-YR/$136 million contract.

"I'm still here, part of the Chicago Cubs," Soriano said. "We'll see what happens in the offseason. I hope they find a good GM, and we can be contenders next year. If not, I don't want to be on another losing team. So I hope that they want to build and can build it the right way." The Cubs next general manager will be working with payroll that has not been available in recent years, as Aramis Ramirez ($14.6 million), Kosuke Fukudome ($12.5 million), Carlos Silva ($11.5 million), and Carlos Pena ($10 million) all have expiring contracts.

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer in Tuesday's win over the Padres.

He went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI. It was his 26th homer of the year. Soriano has reached at least 25 homers in eight different seasons, including three times with the Cubs. He also has 88 RBI, although that comes with a hideous .244 average and .289 OBP. Soriano, 35, is owed $18 million annually through 2014 and is a very poor defensive outfielder.

Alfonso Soriano went 2-for-4 with four RBI in Saturday night's loss to the Brewers.

Soriano scored Carlos Pena on a single to left field in the second inning, then cleared the bases with a three-run double in the eighth. He would seem to be over the forearm discomfort that plagued him all this week.

Alfonso Soriano returned to action on Friday August 26.

Alfonso Soriano (forearm) expects to play Friday.

Soriano was held out of Thursday's lineup after taking a pitch to the right forearm Wednesday night, but he feels no added discomfort when swinging or throwing.