RHP Rafael Soriano announced his retirement after 14 big-league seasons.Soriano, 36, was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 and topped 40 saves three times. He announced his decision in a statement. Soriano signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays last month. He was unable to report to spring training due to visa issues in the Dominican Republic.Soriano recorded 207 career saves as well as a 24-28 record and 2.89 ERA in 591 career appearances. He led the American League with 45 saves in 2010. He saves 42 games for the Yankees in 2012 and 43 for the Nationals in 2013. Soriano was 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA in six games for the Cubs last season.

Relief pitcher Rafael Soriano has announced his retirement after 14 big-league seasons.Soriano, 36, was an All-Star for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 and topped 40 saves three times. He announced his decision in a statement.Soriano signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays last month. He was unable to report to spring training due to visa issues in the Dominican Republic."I have decided to retire from the game I love," Soriano said in the statement. "I want to take this opportunity to thank the front office staffs, scouts, coaches, and trainers from the Mariners, Braves, Rays, Yankees, Nationals, Cubs, and Blue Jays for believing in me and helping me to live out my dream; without you my career would not have been possible."The right-handed Soriano recorded 207 career saves as well as a 24-28 record and 2.89 ERA in 591 career appearances. Soriano led the American League with 45 saves in 2010. He saves 42 games for the New York Yankees in 2012 and 43 for the Washington Nationals... [More]

RHP Rafael Soriano signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays on Sunday and was invited to spring training. He went 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA in six games with the Cubs last year, missing time due to right shoulder inflammation. The former closer had 27 saves for the Braves in 2009, 45 for the Rays in 2010, 42 for the Yankees in 2012, 43 for the Nationals in 2013 and 32 for Washington in 2014.

Soriano was released by the Cubs on Saturday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Soriano was believed to be a candidate for the closer role after joining the club, but the veteran hurler barely saw any time with the Cubs. Over six appearances with the big league club, Soriano allowed four runs over 5.2 innings on eight hits and two home runs. While it's possible he will latch on somewhere, he'll likely need to earn a spot on a big league roster.

Soriano (shoulder) was designated for assignment Tuesday.

Soriano continues to rehab a shoulder injury at Triple-A Iowa, and he'll be removed from the 40-man roster in order for the team to add Austin Jackson and David Ross. Once healthy, Soriano figures to return to the Cubs, but a corresponding move would need to be made.

Soriano (shoulder) has joined Triple-A Iowa to begin a rehab assignment, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

Soriano was cleared to throw to live hitters a week ago and has now joined Iowa for what figures to be a relatively brief rehab assignment. The right-hander will likely make a couple appearances with the affiliate and return to the Cubs once rosters expand in September.

Soriano (shoulder) threw a simulated game Tuesday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander cleared a major hurdle in his recovery from right shoulder inflammation, throwing to live hitters with no reported issues. Soriano is expected to need a short rehab assignment before returning to the Cubs' bullpen.

Soriano (shoulder) is close to throwing in simulated games, the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzales reports.

Once he gets a few simulated games under his belt Soriano will be sent on a rehab assignment, meaning he could rejoin the Cubs' bullpen sometime this month. While Soriano may be used in an occasional save situation down the stretch, Hector Rondon remains the Cubs reliever to own in fantasy leagues.

Soriano was placed on the 15-day DL on Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation, Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago reports.

This is the first word of any shoulder troubles for Soriano this season, but it explains why he hasn't pitched in close to a week. Look for Pedro Strop and Tommy Hunter to continue serving as the top setup men to closer Hector Rendon, with Soriano out until at least Aug. 15. Clayton Richard was recalled in a corresponding move.

Soriano gave up two runs and three hits in one inning - the eighth - against the Rockies on Tuesday.

Meanwhile Jason Motte - who imploded Monday night and gave way to Soriano to get the win - pitched in the ninth inning of a 7-2 loss. Motte still looks like the closer for now, especially with Soriano not looking effective in his five-game stint with the Cubs, but this situation still bears watching. Soriano has given up seven hits and four runs in 4.2 innings since he was called up.

Soriano was recalled from Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reports.

Soriano had an excellent stint in the minors, with seven strikeouts and no earned runs in seven innings between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. Jason Motte has been effective in the ninth inning recently, but manager Joe Maddon might turn to Soriano, Hector Rondon and/or Pedro Strop if Motte has a couple of bad outings.

Soriano struck out the side in his first inning with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday.

With the Cubs' bullpen performing well over the last couple of months (Friday night notwithstanding), there isn't really a rush to promote Soriano, but he's a nice piece to have ready to go should the need arise.

Soriano was promoted to Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.

After signing a minor league contract with the Cubs in early June, Soriano has moved up from Double-A Tennessee to Triple-A Iowa. Soriano threw five scoreless innings during his stint with Double-A Tennessee, logging four strikeouts and three walks in that span.

Soriano made his debut in the Cubs organization Monday, striking out three batters in a scoreless inning for Double-A Tennessee, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.

Soriano jumped out to a quick start, although he did allow a hit in the outing. He hopes to join the Chicago bullpen at some point after the All-Star break, and a strong stint in the minors would help his chances of pitching in save situations.

Soriano will begin pitching at Double-A Tennessee in the near future, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Soriano, who signed with the Cubs nearly a month ago, has been working out at the team's facility in Arizona, and he'll now report to Tennessee to begin pitching in minor league games. The hope is that he'll throw well enough to potentially work his way up to the big leagues after the All-Star break.

Soriano isn't expected to join the Cubs until after the All-Star break, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Soriano could provide some value as a potential closer candidate, but it won't come until the second half of the season. Hector Rondon was recently pulled out of the role for the Cubs, with a rotation now occurring. It's no lock that Soriano will close out games, but a good showing in the minors would certainly increase his chances.

Soriano signed a minor-league contract with the Cubs on Tuesday, Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune reports.

As expected, Soriano and the Cubs were able to work out an agreement, bolstering the team's bullpen depth. It's unclear how much time the 35-year-old reliever will need in the minor leagues before he's a candidate to join the big-league club, but Soriano could eventually be an option in the ninth inning. Hector Rondon served as closer for the first two months of the season, but with Rondon struggling recently, manager Joe Maddon said the team won't have fixed bullpen roles for the time being. Accordingly, Pedro Strop and Jason Motte both picked up saves over the weekend.

Soriano and the Cubs are close to reaching an agreement, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Soriano would likely sign a minor league deal, but he could be an option for the Chicago bullpen within the next few weeks. Although he has plenty of experience as a closer, Soriano may need to prove that he's still capable of filling a late-inning role. Chicago would be one of the better landing sports for him to eventually enter the mix for saves, as the Cubs have a clear-cut closer at the moment. Hector Rondon filled that role for most of the season, but Pedro Strop and Jason Motte have both picked up saves in the last few days. Manager Joe Maddon said he doesn't want to commit to fixed roles at the moment.

The Marlins have expressed interest in signing Soriano, MLB.com's Joe Frisaro reports.

With closer Steve Cishek struggling, the Marlins are exploring other alternatives. Manager Mike Redmond hinted that Cishek will be removed from the ninth-inning role, leaving A.J. Ramos and Bryan Morris as the leading candidates to pick up saves. Even if he's signed in the coming days, Soriano will likely need some time to get big-league ready. Additionally, he wouldn't necessarily serve as the Marlins' closer, following a solid but unspectacular 2014 campaign as the Nationals' closer.

Soriano's agent, Scott Boras, says calls about his client's services are increasing, the Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports.

Soriano says he wants to play this season and has reportedly been throwing and working out. However, he'll likely need several weeks to get back into game shape. A MLB team with a need for a bullpen arm will likely sign him at some point, but Boras is likely holding out for a significant deal.