Finally, the New York Yankees got their man by signing closer Rafael Soriano.
This recent good news came from a tweet by Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated just minutes ago, of the reported three-year, $35 million dollar deal.
Well, Yankee fans will sleep well tonight, because Soriano to Mariano is without question the best one to punch to shut down opponents in the eighth and ninth innings. Soriano was a Tampa Bay Ray in 2009, so he is already familiar with the competitive AL East.
Strength in a team’s bullpen and closer are absolutely vital in winning games.
A solid bullpen takes pressure off the starting rotation to have to go more than five to six innings.
In tight game circumstances, if your relievers have the ability to shut down hitters, it closes the opponent’s capability to score, inevitably giving a team a better shot at winning more games.
Soriano was hands-down the best closer in the American League and most would say in all of baseball in 2010. Soriano posted 45 saves in 64 attempts, giving up just four home-runs, two walks and striking out 57 in 62.1 innings of work.
It puts the Yankees back in contention, considering what the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies have accomplished this off-season.
Something BIG had to be done in the Bronx to send a message that the Yankees still want to win.
Now that message has been sent, and in my opinion, this move makes the Bombers lethal for 2011.
Get ready for a little….pinstriped R&R in 2011.
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