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.

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.