The Royals announced that they've declined their 2013 option for Joakim Soria. The reliever, who missed the entire 2012 season to undergo Tommy John surgery, is now a free agent. He obtains a $750K buyout instead of an $8MM salary.
Soria established himself as an elite reliever in the five seasons preceding 2012. Though he struggled in 2011, his career numbers are excellent — a 3.40 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 298 total appearances. If the Royals had exercised his 2013 option they would have kept the rights to a 2014 option valued at $8.75MM.
METS! Please dear God let it be the Mets.
Dipoto, pick up the phone
Royals are working out a new contract with him!!!!
Red sox go get him.
New York…..meet your newest Yankee.
No, he’ll be back with KC within a few days.. see link: mlbtraderumors.com/2012/10/al-central-notes-cesped…
Getting Santana today doesn’t look good. Having to pay both might limit Royals elsewhere.
remember when the Royals could have gotten a king’s ransom for Soria? Well, at least he closed a lot of meaningful games.
Never understood the need for smaller market teams to hang onto elite closers when they’re not in contention.
Um, what games have the Royals played in that were meaningful?
That totally wasn’t sarcasm.
Seriously though, sometimes its hard to detect on the internet but, yeah, I think he was kidding.
Come to Rays for one year 2m deal and bank next offseason. Ask Benoit, Soriano, Balfour, and Rodney
career 2.40 era. big difference.
Whoever gets him is going to have a reliever with great bounce back potential.
If the Royals want to bring him back it better be an incentive laden deal. No sense in wasting a bunch of money on a reliever with the pen they’ve already got. Of course I figure it’s likely 1 or 2 of those arms get dealt looking for starting pitching depth this winter but if bringing him back doesn’t mean Crow moves to the rotation I don’t really see the point in making the move at all.