The Royals are expected to decline their $8MM team option on Joakim Soria for the 2013 season and instead buy the closer out for $750K, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Despite the buyout, the Royals are interested in bringing Soria back and "both sides have expressed interest in working out a new deal."
Soria has just begun throwing for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, the second time that he has undergone the procedure in his career. The right-hander was looking to rebound after a somewhat disappointing 2011 season by his standards, posting a 4.03 ERA with career-worsts in H/9 (9.0) and HR/9 (1.0) over 60 1/3 innings. The Royals also held an $8.75MM club option on Soria for the 2014 season.
A new contract with Soria would be the best-case scenario for Kansas City, as while Soria is still too valuable a commodity to let walk for nothing, $8MM is a large chunk of payroll to tie up in a closer coming off a second Tommy John surgery. Any deal that Soria signs this winter will be short-term and modestly-priced given his injury history, though Soria's track record would definitely earn him a lot of interest if he reaches free agency.
Is he really still too valuable a commodity to let walk for nothing?
I wish the guy all the best but the track record of guys who have had Tommy John surgery more than once getting back to where they were is not great.
shoulda traded him when they had the chance. A good closer on a bad team is like 24inch rims on a 91 honda. Whats the point..
Objectively I know your right, but we got him for nothing and really we’re playing with house money at this point. I love him and even though I know with my brain we probably could’ve got something out of him, I’m glad we kept him and I hope we bring him back.
withpower, have you ever watched Soria pitch? Have you seen the slow curve? Have you watched it bring Albert Pujols to his knees (literally) trying to swing? His ERA+ in 2010 was 236. The year before that it was 202. The year before that it was 270. In 2011, when just about everyone not named Ned Yost believes he was pitching hurt, it was still 102 (his career worst by a country mile). Nobody is saying he’s going to come back and the Mexicutioner of old, but he is way too good when he’s healthy to just let walk. He wants to come back, why not bring him back for 1 year/$2 mil with incentives?
Of course I’ve seen him pitch. Did you do any research into the track record of players who have had more than one Tommy John procedure? I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer here.
Obviously, Jason Isringhausen and Chris Capuano had a few TJ surgeries and did alright [to varying degrees at varying times]. But after them the high water marks are Doug Brocail and Al Reyes.
I know that, but given what he was when he was healthy, to me a 1-year deal is worth the risk.
10 pitchers is not a reliable sample size. And none of the pitchers except for Isringhausen were as talented as Soria pre-surgery. It will be interesting to see how he performs. If he’s successful, that would change the outlook for pitchers, going in for their 2nd tjs, significantly.