Considering Isringhausen
t.coThere are worse ideas than Jason Isringhausen being a serious option for Mets closer in 2012.
The Joakim Soria Trade Rumors
paullebowitz.com.previewyoursite.comJoakim Soria may or may not be on the block. The Royals are asking a lot for him and multiple teams can use him; he’s signed to a team-friendly contract.
Rangers Lose Another Key Bullpen Arm
According to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, the Red Sox have signed Koji Uehara to a 1yr deal.
I was hoping that the Rangers would find a way to sign Koji, but I knew once the Rangers signed Joakim Soria that either Adams or Koji would not be back. This news makes he dislike the Soria deal more than I already did.
This has been a disappointing offseason so far…but that can change quickly with a big signing or a big trade.
Thinking Mike Napoli leaving would make me sad all day, but hearing the Rangers are getting Joakim Soria from the Kansas City Royals, just made my night!
Why I like him, because he is from the same state in Mexico where my familia is from, Coahuila. He can probably be related to me because my dad said his grandmother maiden name was Soria and has relatives in Monclova, where he is from!
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Rangers Make First Big Signing of the Offseason
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the Rangers have signed former Royals closer Joakim Soria to at 2 yr deal pending a phylical. Terms have not been disclosed yet, but the deal is expected to be worth 8-9 mil.
I don’t particularly like this deal. Soria was once a very good closer, but his velocity has diminished considerably over the last 2 years. He did miss all of last season and had Tommy John surgery in April. He’s supposedly being signed to take the place of Mike Adams who is expected to sign elsewhere. I wonder what this deal means for Koji.
If you only look at Soria’s career numbers, this seems like a great deal for the Rangers. Soria has a 2.40 ERA, 9.7 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.68 HR/9, and 160 saves in 315 1/3 career innings. But if you look a little closer, you’ll see that his K rate has declined while his hits/9 rate has increased. So basically, he’s not missing as many bats as he used to and those ABs are turning into more baserunners…which leads to a higher WHIP (Walks + Hits per Inning Pitched)…and eventually, to more runs.
The Rangers have always liked Soria and I’m not surprised that they’ve signed him, but If Soria is expected to be the primary setup man for Joe Nathan…I think the Rangers are in trouble. If he becomes the 7th inning guy…then it’s not so bad…except for the cost of his contract.
At any rate, at least the Rangers have filled one of the bullpen slots…lets hope Koji is next.
