The Tigers will exercise their $7MM club option on right-hander Joakim Soria, reports Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter).
Soria, 30, was acquired from the Rangers at the trade deadline for the steep price of right-handers Corey Knebel and Jake Thompson, but the results didn’t pan out for Detroit. Soria totaled just 11 innings with the Tigers and allowed seven runs (six earned), in part due to an oblique strain that cost him a month of action. He didn’t fare any better in the post season, as he was charged with five runs in one inning (two appearances).
Despite the struggles following the trade, Soria was an exceptional bullpen piece with the Rangers this year, pitching to a 2.70 ERA with 11.3 K/9 and 1.1 BB/9 in 33 1/3 innings. His cumulative stat line translated to a 3.80 ERA with a 48-to-6 K/BB ratio in 44 1/3 innings during the regular season.
The Tigers are in desperate need of solidifying their bullpen and will hope that a healthy Soria can assist in accomplishing that goal next season.
For some reason I though this option had already been exercised.
Dombrowski basically said it’d be exercised without actually saying it. He talked last week about how part of the reason they acquired him was because he was controlled for 2015 and they thought he could contribute as a setup man next year. Something along those lines.
I been refreshing by browser for days waiting for this to happen
The link above is listing the wrong Jake Thompson, just a heads up!
Good. Now sign Miller…. and Tigers bullpen goes from a weakness to strength regardless of how Nathan does.
Rondon and Krol will be positive contributors in 2015.
Do you think the Tigers have an endless supply of money?
They are not signing Scherzer… and maybe not VMART. Spend the money on Miller early… then worry about VMART later.
Kinsler can always be traded for prospects to save the payroll.
Do the Tigers have the money to outbid for Miller? I hope they do and have money to resign Vmart.
I think it is two out of these three:
1. VMART
2. Miller
3. KInsler (they will need to trade him if they get the other two).
The only sensible call to make.
Yes he struggled when he came over but he’s still more than good enough as evidenced by his Texas numbers. At $7m its solid value too.
Many more moves needed please DD.
The Tigers have been knocking on the door for awhile now, their relief pitching was their biggest weakness last year. They need pitchers like Gregerson or Miller.
Detroit needs to look at some lower cost relievers, for example Pat Neshek. Relievers are so volatile it may be wiser to go for a quantity over quality approach in the off season.
Gregersen and Neshek would be my wish list if I were Detroit. Miller is a fine option as well. These aren’t older guys with “closing experience” but rather legitimately good pitchers.
I think Miller will be severely overpaid this off season. He is coming off the best season of his career, according to fWAR Miller was more than twice as good in 2014, and was heavily hyped in the postseason. Its not a good idea to buy high on a reliever.
Good advise for a GM, but fans don;t want to hear it.
For all his injury problems and bad luck… Soria’s FIP last year was 2.09. (Fangraphs).
It was the best season of his career by SIERA, xFIP, and FIP, but his small-sample FIP in Detroit was over 5. We’re dealing with small samples all around here, but given he was injured in Detroit, it at least raises alarms. Going from 1.06 FIP/2.21 xFIP/1.80 SIERA to 5.22 FIP/4.32 xFIP/3.80 SIERA is at least somewhat concerning. 33 and 11 IP are obviously small sample, but Soria is only expected to throw 50-60 IP next year anyway, not exactly a big sample itself.
Easy to explain that he had a short term, recoverable injury that he was coming back from too early. (Oblique Strain)
If you look at stats you love Soria but if you watch pitch location and movement its yikes. Sure you can ring up stats while pitching for non-contending teams and he brings no playoff experience.
How much “playoff experience” did the Royals relievers have before the last 4 weeks?
I should have wrote pennant experience. But, it gets down to pitch location and movement and Soria doesn’t have it. I don’t care if he pitches the 7th but I do mind if it stops them from picking up another reliever due to lack of funds.
One of the best nicknames of all time..the Mexecutioner