We'll probably know by tommorow at the press conference, but from what Kaplan and other beat writers/analysts its looking like 5 years/85M with 3 option years at 17M each, or it could be 6 years/98M with 2 options years for 19M each. Those options don't make sense to me. If they are team options, I highly doubt that the Cubs would pick them up given his age. Why would Soriano allow that? If they are player options, unless Soriano becomes an all time great (he wont) why wouldn't he pick them up? I would guess that the first option year would be in the Cubs hands, but at a very steep buyout price. The other two years would be either mutual or player option. Just for example, say it works like this: 2007- 19 2008- 19 2009- 18 2010- 17 2011- 17 2012- 17 (or team option with $10M buyout) 2013- 15 (or player option with $5M buyout) 2014- 14 (or mutual option with $5M buyout) Now, while it might be easy to take the $10M buyou remember buyouts go towards the previous season, so we will have paid him $27M for 2011. Is it worth the $36M you save the next few years? If you don't buy him out, the ball is in his court and he could make an easy $15M, so you don't get to opt out until the next season. I'm sure the option years will be something along these lines.