Alfonso Soriano still can be traded, says Cubs GM

Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano is prime trade bait for teams looking to make a playoff push. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) Even though baseball's trading

Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano is prime trade bait for teams looking to make a playoff push. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Even though baseball's trading deadline ended yesterday, players can still be given their walking papers, especially for playoff-bound teams who need some extra pop in their lineups.

Chicago Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano is one of those players who could be traded, according to his general manager.

For a player to be traded, they must clear waivers first. If Soriano is traded before August 31, he would be eligible to play in the postseason.

Soriano is owed over $44 million over the next two-plus seasons.

 "I suppose there is a chance in August, but he handled things so well," Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said on ESPN Radio. "He was great with us. He's having a great year, some teams were interested. He told us to bring some teams to him if there was a possibility. We did that well in advance. He told us certain places that he was interested in, certain places he wasn't. I thought the way he handled it was really great."

Soriano is batting .270 with 19 home runs and 61 RBIs for the Cubs, who are 43-59 and in fifth place in the National League Central.

"I didn't turn down any team, but I told my agent to tell the Cubs I would only go to one West Coast team, and that was the Dodgers," Soriano told ESPNChicago.com. "They never came to us with anything else."