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Yankees designate Alfonso Soriano for assignment

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The New York Yankees’ reunion with Alfonso Soriano is likely over after the team designated the struggling outfielder for assignment on Sunday.

Soriano returned to New York midway through last season and sparked the offense with 17 home runs in 58 games.

But Soriano hit just .221 this season with six homers and 23 RBIs in 67 games. The Yankees announced the move shortly after acquiring Arizona right-handed starter Brandon McCarthy for lefty Vidal Nuno.

“We designated Soriano, which is extremely difficult because he’s been a great Yankee and a great player,” New York manager Joe Girardi said before Sunday’s game at Minnesota.

Soriano’s playing time decreased considerably this year after New York signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran in the offseason. He recently has been splitting time in right field with Ichiro Suzuki since Beltran was injured and is now limited to designated hitter.

But the slugger who started his major league career with the Yankees in 1999 and has 412 career homers has not connected since May 17 and has struck out 71 times in 226 at-bats.

The 38-year-old Soriano is in the final year of an eight-year, $136 million deal he signed with the Chicago Cubs, who are paying $13 million of his $18 million salary this year. The Yankees have 10 days to trade or place Soriano on unconditional waivers. If he clears waivers, New York can release him.

“For Soriano, it’s a guy that came in and did a tremendous job for us last year, has had his struggles this year and he’s a guy that’s used to playing every day,” Girardi said. “Wasn’t every day for him, maybe it was harder for him to get going, not sure. I’m sure he’s extremely disappointed. Soriano always takes things with class.”

The Yankees recalled pitcher Bruce Billings from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Billings pitched in one game for New York this season, allowing four runs in four innings on April 25 against the Los Angeles Angels.

Girardi has an open spot in the starting rotation after Nuno was traded to the Diamondbacks. Nuno was slated to start on Monday and McCarthy pitched on Thursday. New York won’t force McCarthy into Nuno’s spot on short rest.

Billings — who has started 11 games in Triple-A — won’t be a candidate to start on Monday, Girardi said. An announcement will be made later.

“The taxing of our bullpen kind of forced us to make this move, in a sense,” Girardi said. “I’m not saying it wouldn’t have happened, but we decided we had to make it today because we need to.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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