The Royals don’t seem inclined to trade Joakim Soria for anything less than an overwhelming offer, according to Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. The 26-year-old closer, who is under team control through 2014, remains a big part of the Royals “today and for the future,” in the words of GM Dayton Moore.
“We do expect to be good at some point in time,” Moore said. “And to be good, it’s important that you’re able to match up over the last three innings of the game. Joakim Soria gives us that opportunity to do that.”
Soria, who has more continuous service with the Royals than anyone else on the team, says he’d likes the youth-oriented path the front office is taking. Unlike former teammate Zack Greinke, Soria wants to stay put. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes mentioned the closer on his list of midseason trade candidates in the American League, cautioning that the Royals were likely to keep him.
Soria said in December that he wouldn’t block a trade to the Yankees, but he later clarified that he meant to indicate that he didn’t plan to prevent the Royals from making a deal if that was their intention.
Could it be the Royals are officially putting their foot down? Now that Greinke is gone, I guess they’ll hold onto all their “key” players as long as possible now, bring up their prospects, and see how good of a team they can assemble over the next several years. I guess you gotta start somewhere, and building around Soria, Gordon, and Butler is somewhere.
They should be good by 2013, so this makes sense.
However, the rumour was that they were offered Montero + for Soria..
I don’t see how turning down that offer makes any sense for a rebuilding team. .An impact bat giving you 600 AB’s is going to be more valuable overall to the team getting better
Dont the Royals have numerous first base DH type bats though .
So they trade one to fill holes they need. For the most part you don’t have a big trading market for Soria, not many teams can afford his contract and the high end prospects coming back.
However every team can afford a Montero, it won’t maximize your return because everything is within reason, but it allows you to be specific in filling a hole you need..
Ie if they want a speedy outfield prospect and yankees don’t have one, they can take Montero to get it and more. Or keep montero and trade a lesser 1B/DH prospect.
what team cant afford a $4 million lights out closer? c’mon…do a little research before you spew this nonsense
I guess reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit..
“not many teams can afford his contract and the high end prospects coming back. ”
that and in the middle of the sentence bridges the first thing to the second thing..
I know every team can afford Soria for his ridiculously team friendly contract, but he’s not a free agent, he requires prospects, top prospects to pull him out. You think a team like the rays, twins, braves, are going to ship some of their top prospects out for a reliever? No chance.
So next time you criticize a comment, you should make sure you understand it first.
oh and ps. his clubs options are for 6, 8, and 8.75 million
so he’s not a 4 million dollar lights out closer
he’s a 27 million dollar lights out closer
They do, and they have a stockpile of prospects who may or may not make it in the majors, much like Montero.
I’d love Montero as a Royals fan but they’ve already got Kaaihue, Butler, and Hosmer (and to a lesser degree, Clint Robinson) at 1b/dh, where Montero is likely to end up, so they really don’t NEED Montero. But I think you’re right that 600 ABs for Montero would be more valuable than Soria. Soria also has a very club-friendly contract, especially valuable to a small market club.
read what I wrote above. While I agree its not a great fit, its still worthwhile and they can fill holes with their abundance of young and cheap power hitters.
Yeah, overall, I would rather add value to the system, and I think Montero would do that. And I understand that you could trade from strength to get what you need, but given Dayton Moore’s track record evaluating Major League talent, I’m not sure he’d acquire the right kind…unless it came from Atlanta.
In other relevant news the world is not going to end on December 21st 2012.
But but but but hollywood and crazy conspiracy theorists told us it would!
I know Dayton’s just trying to be realistic and honest, but saying something like “We do expect to be good at some point in time” sounds like “One day we won’t stink.” I’d hate to be a player and hear that kind of confidence out of my GM.
trust me, it’s better than 3 or 4 years of “Trust The Process”..
Look for a Soria for Jurickson Profar with the Rangers once they make Neftali Feliz a starter. You heard it here first folks!!!
Soria will stay a Royal imo, now that the Yankees have Soriano they don’t really have any room to put him in their pen w/ out making another quality reliever available.
Right because Dayton Moore and all other GM’s are obligated to help the Yankees cause of winning, but that’s not necessary for the moment because the Yankees are already set in late relief. So Soria will be staying in Kansas City until Mo or Soriano leave/get hurt.
I’m not sure why the Montero for Soria rumor is still going around. I’m pretty sure Brian Cashman already debunked that rumor.
“it’s important that you’re able to match up over the last three innings of the game”
Of course, it’s twice as important to match up over the first six.
This team is going to be good and the haters are going to have to change their screen names so they can post “I told you so!”
I can’t wait.