Joakim Soria was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the most recent MLB deadline and was evidently only a short-term rental. The Pirates determined Soria wasn’t worth keeping or paying ample money for, and now the free-agent reliever has signed with the Kansas City Royals.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reported it was a three-year agreement, and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports would confirm the report, noting the deal will be worth $25 million.
Heyman alluded to why the Royals wanted to bring in Soria:
This past season was the second in which Soria was traded at the deadline, and the instability had to be a bit frustrating for Soria, who has enjoyed a rather stellar MLB career as a middle reliever and closer. After playing for three different teams since 2013, he returns to Kansas City, where he played the first five years of his career.
Soria doesn’t have the elite arm talent to be a truly intimidating presence on the mound, but he has a versatile array of pitches that keeps hitters off balance. A four-seam fastball is Soria‘s go-to pitch and is effective even though it averages approximately 93 mph.
Based on how his stuff is in any outing, Soria can adjust his tactics thanks to a solid slider and curveball, which the 31-year-old mixes up well to remain less predictable. His changeup velocity reaches the upper 80s, but the curve is a more drastic off-speed pitch that registers in the low 70s.
Over Soria‘s last 13 regular-season appearances, he didn’t allow a single run. The Pirates must feel confident that their bullpen will remain stout to let an experienced arm in Soria walk away on the open market.
The Royals have to be enthused about Soria‘s return. He can fit in anywhere and thrive in whatever relief role the club asks of him.
Note: Advanced pitching stats courtesy of BrooksBaseball.net.
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