WEDNESDAY: Soria can also block deals to the Red Sox, Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals or Cubs, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The reliever’s 2012 option vests at $6MM if he finishes 55 games in 2011. It would be difficult for Soria to reach that mark if he weren’t closing games, but his trade protection provides him with some leverage.
TUESDAY: The Yankees are one of six teams on the no-trade list of Royals closer Joakim Soria, reports ESPN's Andrew Marchand. We learned yesterday that the Yankees made a "big proposal" for Soria, even dangling Jesus Montero, but the Royals were not interested.
Marchand notes that in the unlikely event the Royals and Yankees do reach an agreement for Soria, the no-trade clause might simply provide leverage for the pitcher. Maybe that means he requires all three club options to be picked up or even a contract restructuring, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Im now waiting for the subsequent posts about Soria not having the guts to be able to pitch in New york and how he is a wuss.
I certainly get the concept that not every single player in the MLB wants to be a Yankee…
However, the Yankees offer the best chance to win a championship. Why wouldn’t players want to be apart of that? Probably because their hesistant about handling the pressure, the constant criticism.
Soria talked with a couple of Mexican sport journalists during the 2009 winter, and they said Soria mentioned the Yankees as a place he would love to pitch BUT also was concerned about the treatment Joe Girardi gives to latinos, specially mexicans (basically the same treatment Joe Torre has towards mexicans), i guess he knows better since there are a few mexicans with the Yankees organization (Peña, Aceves, a pretty good thirdbasemen at AAA in Vázquez, and in 2009 Hairston, another mexican, was not very happy with the way JoeG treated him). All that happened during the off season, when he also said he was very happy with the people of Kansas City because right now he lives a normal life and not that of a superstar and with his first child and all, he wants to live as peaceful as he can.
The bottom line is that pitching in NY, especially with the Yankees creates an unbearable pressure and most can’t handle it. I suspect Soria is one. You have to have an attitude Like the news players Swisher, Tex and Thames. The old core are use to the pressures, they were brought up in the system and the Yankees got lucky.
Thames? lol
Thames?LOL. I think a better explanation is needed. Not the one you gave.
He just doesn’t want to be behind Rivera. Who knows when that guy will retire.
Thats my initial thought. Perhaps the Yanks and Sox are listed due to having closers in place already
He has good taste, sorry.
Maybe he’d prefer the ugly chicks and early offseason in Boston.
Hey, don’t be bitter because your city sucks too much for Soria.
Hey don’t be bitter cause your team just plain sucks =D
Well the only reason your team is any good is because they have a $220 million payroll, with that much of a payroll they should be damn near undefeated. The fact that they have that much of a payroll and “need” to add players is quite pathetic IMO.
Stop with the “payroll” BS! The Red Sox have a high payroll too! Lots of teams have very high payrolls. The Mets have a high payroll. They suck!
It’s not payroll BS when the Yankees have a payroll that is $50 million more than the closest team.
ha ha that is an excellent point.
As far as I know games are won and lost in the field. No matter how much money you spend, that will not insure a championship. The thing that people hate the most of the Yankees is that they are a very special group of guys with a great love for the game and the right attitude in competition. But no matter what we say it is an issue of payroll. I guess some people will never learn. Sorry!
Actually what people hate the most about the Yankees is that they spend so much money and steal players away from teams and people are just tired of watching the Yankees win with the largest payrolls in MLB history. Almost everyone who plays in the MLB are a great group of guys who have a great love of the game and have the right attitude in competition. I guess many Yankee fans just can’t realize that money goes a long way for a team to win it all, hence why the Yankees have won 27 championships. They have bought their way to every championship since they bought Babe Ruth from the Red Sox, considering the Yankees hadn’t won a championship until they did that.
Hmm yeah I bet the Yanks would be doing great if they lost Cano, Posada, Gardner and Sabathia.
You tell em, fitz! The Yanks would be doing horrible if they lost Cano, Posada(who they lost already a few times), Gardner, Sabathia, Rivera, Jeter, Hughes, Robertson, Swisher and Babe Ruth.
I bet Boston would do soooo much better without Youk, Beckett, Lester, and Pedroia. See I can play that game too
We have done decent without predroia, Beckett, v-mart, varitek, elsbury. For Gods sake, our lineup there for awhile was a spring training lineup. Mcdonald, nava, cash, Patterson.
Cam down. Both your teams are obnoxious assholes who spend like crazy.
its because the yanks already have a closer and he dosent want to be a setup guy he wants to be paid like a closer, give him a couple years if hes still any good than the yanks can get him
Mariano Rivera, hello! Soira obviously wants to remain a closer, because teams pay way Way more money to closers than they do set up men. Soria probably has career goals as far as saving a certain number of games etc as well. That is why he has no trade clauses to certain teams, not just because he hates NY or whatever else is being said.
I am just saying… Doesn’t it mean that? I would say the same thing if he didn’t want to pitch for Boston.. What is a reason you wouldn’t want to play for a team that wins every year besides not liking the media or the pressure (maybe his ego of wanting to be closer)? You get paid more than anyone else and you win more than anyone else…. only a few reasons why you wouldn’t play for them.
Exactly. Why wouldn’t Soria want to play for a team that:
1) Are defending World Series Champions
2) Has a brand new ball park
3) First place in the toughest division in baseball
4) Could set-up the greatest reliever of all time
5) Could eventually replace the greatest reliever of all time
6) If successful, could be a bigger name in baseball
Set up… not close. Maximum I’ve seen a set up man get is around $5M-$6M a year. The max I’ve seen a closer get is $15M. And considering Mariano is aging like a fine wine, I don’t see the yanks offering the job to anyone else any time soon.
Actual reasons one might not want to play for the yankees:
1) Rumors (true or untrue) regarding unfavourable treatment of your ethnic group
2) A preference to not live in NY
3) A dislike of the (successful) manner in which the NYY conduct business in the MLB
4) A desire to not have his personal life scrutinized by a relatively intrusive and often hostile media (and media market)
5) A desire to maintain his role as a closer: a) because he enjoys closing; and b) because come his next contract he could make a lot more money if he has been closing for the previous years
Other possible (however unlikely) reasons could include:
6) A desire to stay with the home he has created
7) A desire not to pitch in the difficult (and only getting more difficult) AL east
8) Aspirations to live in a different geographical part of the country
and so on…
Oh and possibly not playing for an organization that is quicker than most to dump you at any sign of trouble. It is probably smart business by the Yankees, an ability made possible in large part by their availability of resources. Less awesome for the players though.
The Yankees don’t just dump the players they have when they are struggling or doing poorly. See Joba Chamberlain, Carl Pavano, Alex Rodriguez (postseason struggles), Robinson Cano, David Robertson, etc. NY roots hard for their players to succeed and if Soria is too concerned with screwing up than of course he is gonna screw up. To play in NY you have to be bold and you have to trust your stuff. If you have no confidence then you will surely fail. So if this is the type of guy soria is then he will do poorly in NY…
Judging by their contracts, are you really surprised the Yankees didn’t dump ARod/Pavano? Also, Chamberlain hasn’t struggled until this year and a lot of people have him out the door already…? He was a mediocre 4th/5th starter last year, they didn’t need him to pitch like an ace and expected a growth period. Lastly, when did Robinson Cano really struggle? I remember him going through a tough stretch early, but the fact is it didn’t last that long and he ended up with a line of .297 / .320 / .458 with 18 HRs.
Granderson would’ve been a better example but I suspect if they weren’t in 1st place you’d hear people calling for his head.
In 2008 cano hit .271 and people were freaking out because he could not hit with RISP to save his damn life. Now he is one of the most feared number five hitters in the league. I don’t quit on players but if they don’t deserve praise then they are certainly not gonna get it. That was AROD’s problem. He wanted everyone to like him so he sucked in the playoffs and with RISP. Soria would be the same way. He would worry about what other people think of him instead of just playing like the All-Star he is capable of playing as since he is afraid of coming to NY and is afraid of the pressure and Media that NY has to offer. He won’t see it as a potential place to make a name for himself so he will continue to rot in KC… yay for him!
How did we go from suggesting possible reasons why Soria might not want to play in NY to stating as fact that Soria does not like high-pressure situations. Come on now, the guy IS a closer after all.
You obviously haven’t read much about Soria. He has ice-water in his veins. Confidence is not a problem.
What IS amusing is the Yankee fans posting their shock and dismay that not everyone is interested in playing there. Amusing. Not surprising. Just amusing.
I notice one thing about your post. They are senseless just as you are concerning BB and living in NY. I guess living home with mommy made you a sheltered little girl.
I’m not sure I understand what is being asserted in this post. Something about the grammatical construction or word choice leaves much to be desired.
Examples: 1) You mention “one thing” you notice, but then do not identify that “one thing.”
2) You suddenly introduce the pronoun “they” but fail to indicate its referent.
3) There must be a preposition missing in the last sentence…”at” perhaps.
4) It is unclear how a person’s growing up in a home with their mother would turn them into a “sheltered little girl,” particularly if that involved a gender change. However, perhaps you were suggesting that I STILL live at home with my mother, in which case you are simply asserting a false, groundless proposition.
5) Your use of “senseless” seems either to have a technical sense with which I am not familiar or you used it incorrectly. Surely, you must have noticed how other people seemed to understand the intended meaning present in my posts. If we loosely take sense and meaning (i.e. semantic content) as the same thing, it hardly makes “sense” (hahahah) to call my post(s) senseless.
All your BS now confirms everything I said, you are a sheltered little girl. No need to respond I feel sorry for you. Living a sheltered life especially for a little girl that’s heartless.
You’re 12 right? I find it pathetic when people online try to pump themselves up and argue with name calling. Seriously, weak dude.
Agreed. Thank you.
You do realize that it’s people like you that give Yankee fans a horrible name, don’t you? I mean seriously, how hard is it to have an adult conversation about baseball with a fan of another team? Please mature before coming back to these message boards, thank you.
thanks for the grammer lesson
maybe he just thinks your team, management, town, and fans are a bunch of dbags
:shrug:
should i get the box of tissues out yet?
Yankees fans epitomize arrogance.
If say, the (first-place) Rangers were on the short list of no-trade teams, no one would bat an eyelash. Hell if any team in baseball were on there, no one would say anything.
But oh, the Yankees, they’re soooooooooo great!!!111!!! Everyone wants to be a Yankee!!!!111!!!!
Get over yourself.
My thought on it would be, you put the NYY on your list because if they get to the point where they want to trade for you, you shoot for a boost in your contract.
I know that every Yankee fan gets pissed about how everyone is “trying to fleece” them whether via FA or trades…but wouldn’t you think that putting yourself in the driver seat with the Bank of America would be a good idea?
I don’t necessarily think it is being scared of any place…smart business decision by Soria’s agent.
This is exactly the reason why.
This is exactly what I was going to say. First of all, he knows that he is with a club (KC) that is not a contender and could most likely trade him, so, by putting the Yankees on his no trade list, he is guaranteed to get what he wants out of a trade, probably knowing that if the Yankees want him bad enough, they will give him much more money. This is smart. Why settle for letting a club that doesn’t compete trade you to a high market team only to get the same undermarket value you would have in your other team?
I think the reactions to Yankee fans are just as bad as than Yankee fans themselves. Pot and Kettle.
You’re right Valencia. It couldn’t be any other reason. I like the info on how Yankees treat mexicans. Should have boycotted that All-Star Game. Anyway, why can’t anybody just not like the Yankees? Maybe he’s against the idea of fielding the best team money can buy.
His stats pitching in NY for the Royals seem to be just fine. The pressure is not the problem, it is the team itself.
Pitching against the Yankees in New York is not the same as pitching FOR the Yankees in New York… especially when you have Rivera taking the saves, and with how dominant he has been over the years, eventually replacing him… its a lot more pressure than going in for 6-8 games/year pitching against them…
I agree with your post but let’s be honest… is he actually gonna be able to close out 6-8 games against the Yankees when the Yankees take 6 or 7 out of 8 from the Royals every year, lol.
Maybe I’m wrong but your logic seems flawed. Wouldn’t it be a lot more stressful to pitch AGAINST a team full of all-stars and perennially one of the best teams in baseball than to pitch FOR them? Lots of great pitchers have poor numbers against New York because of the offense they put out there everyday and if this guy has good numbers AGAINST them he could certainly pitch for them and put up good numbers FOR them. I don’t buy that he couldn’t handle it, I think it is a lot more likely that he simply wouldn’t want to deal with it, which is completely different.
This guy must be a whimp. How can you not want to play on a World Series Contender. That dude does not have the balls to play in NY apparently. If you were on one of the worst teams in baseball and had the chance to get traded to the cream of the crop how could you say, “eh, don’t really feel like it.” This guy is either smoking some good stuff that is making him lose his mind or he is simply put a whimp. End of story.
Not everyone sees the Yankees as the crown jewel of baseball. Just because a player doesn’t want to go to your city doesn’t make him a whimp.
Yeah. It isn’t everyone’s dream to play for NY…especially when the position you play (Closer) is already taken. So you and your greasy friends in here should lose the NY Ego. To the rest of the country that ego is looked at as a joke. Not something that is admired.
It’s not an ego is A FACT. Who has 27 titles? who is leading the league in wins? Who just won the World series last year? The Yankees are first class. They give back to the community. They put a winner of the field every single year. They give to the fans unlike the owners in your cities who just take the money and put a $50 million dollar team on the field.
The Yankees aren’t the only ones who have a legitimate shot at winning year in and year out, there are several other teams a player could go to and have a shot at the playoffs every year. Maybe it has nothing to do with being able to handle New York and it’s pressure, maybe he wouldn’t like living in New York and would be happy with 5-6mil living somewhere he would enjoy and doesn’t need 10-12mil while living somewhere he wouldn’t like living. (I know, taking less money, or even winning less, and still being happy sounds crazy right?)
It may be silly for them to even trade Soria. They have him for what? 4 more years? And his contract is far less than what he should be paid.
No way. It’s a no brainer if you’re offered a top 5 prospect in all of baseball for a closer.
Dayton Moore is a colossal moron, so it would not be a surprise to me if he turned down Montero for Soria.
Closers are the most overvalued players in all of baseball.
It could well be he turned it down because Soria said “no”
well obviously. but no one is going to offer 5 top prospects for a reliever. no matter how good he is, whether he be Mariano Rivera or Leo Nunez. no one is worth that much unless your name is Albert pujols, Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria, or…well..thats it.
He said top 5 prospect not 5 top prospects… and it is probably because Soria said no…
I’d ask for Romine or Murphy and another prospect over Montero. Fills an organizational need in the case that Myers gets moved to RF (and Romine would beat Myers to the majors anyhow), and it’s not as if the Royals are lacking for 1B/DH types – Montero will not be a catcher long-term…or even short-term.
That’s not smart whatsoever. I understand that the Royals are jammed with 1B/DH type players, but when making a trade you get the most valuable package possible, especially when one of the top prospects in the minors is (reportedly) being offered. Its not like DM couldn’t turn around and trade Montero for something he needs, or trade one of the other 1B/DH’s.
Joakim Soria: The Anti-LeBron James.
Joakim Soria: not even close to the best player in the league.
Joakim Soria: not a free agent
Joakim Soria: Not taking his talent to the Bronx.
which is a good thing in my opinion.
Good man:)
is it bad that i can’t stop laughing uncontrollably?
:0
Is it bad that you keep putting cardinal hats on players that will not be playing for them in the near future?
lol chill out bro. check out the forum website once in a while. lots of guys are doing it.
Know who would look really good in a Yanks uniform? Matt Capps.
Know who would look even better in a Nats uniform? Jesus Montero.
Am I crazy to think this is even remotely possible? Guilty as charged.
Montero has been linked to Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, and Joakim Soria. Matt Capps is not nearly in the same category as them…
Oh I know … but a guy can dream.
Neither is Soria.
Joakim Soria isn’t nearly in the same category as Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay if you want to get picky. Sure he’s under control for longer, but they would have extended Lee or Halladay had they traded for them anyways.
yes you’re right lol soria isn’t either
Whether Soria is in the same category is a matter of how the Yankees want to use him. As a setup man, no he isn’t. But tell me the Yankees don’t value their current closer way too much as it is. If Soria is the future closer, the Yankees would value him pretty high. Too high.
Doesn’t sound like Mo wants to call it quits anytime soon, so it’d likely be setup man. He’d sure be a hell of an heir for when he finally does retire though.
Yes I’m sure they do value Mo very highly, as they should. But its worth noting that Cliff Lee has 4.3 WAR and Roy Halladay 4.8 WAR so far this season. Mo Rivera has never generated that much WAR in a season, ever. Thus why Soria (or any closer) is not in that category.
False. 1996 he did with a 4.4 (On FanGraphs WAR)
Doesn’t make a difference though who had a higher WAR. Rivera is a hall of famer. And as of right now, Halladay or Lee aren’t. Halladay prob has a better chance in the near future, but he isn’t if retired right now.
I don’t use WAR though, not a fan of it, and yes I know what it is and everything but I find no use for it to be honest. I really only use FanGraphs for stats like UZR for defensive stats, but I don’t find WAR useful much. But that’s just me lol.
It makes you wonder what the Yankees really think of Montero. That they would dangle a potential MVP caliber bat for any relief pitcher (even an amazing/cheap one) has me wondering if they are reevaluating their projections of the kid.
A potential MVP caliber bat, but not a very good catcher, so his time with the yankees could be as a DH, and there are a lot of PROVEN hitters that could be DH’ing for NYY in 2011.
On the other hand, Soria has been one of the best, if not the best closer in the MLB the last three years (except for Mariano Rivera).
I love how you consider Montero a potential MVP Caliber Bat….and Soria as “Any Relief Pitcher” yes you do consider him amazing and cheap but come on, thats like buying a car but never driving it because it has the potential to get in an accident…Soria is a game changer NOW, Montero might someday maybe if they can find a position for him be a game changer…
Montero does have a potential MVP caliber bat, it’s just a matter of whether he reaches that potential in the majors, which I’m not saying he will.
I think you’re misreading the reference of Soria as “any relief pitcher” (like I did at first). I think what he is saying is that he’s surprised they would trade Montero for a relief pitcher at all, even one as good as Soria.
Overall, it’s not worth it, 6 years of a top 5 prospect in the game for a player that would be your set up man? I’d rather wait till Joba’s ERA begins to reflect his FIP.
YES YES YES! I posted yesterday, asking if I was the only one that found it alarming that all of the sudden this untouchable future superstar is all of the sudden being offered up for anyone the Yanks think they could use. I’ll say it again. This should tell us ALOT of what the Yanks REALLY think about Montero’s future.
I think they REALLY think that he’s not a great defensive catcher, which every scout has already said. What could they REALLY think about a 20 year old’s bat raking in AAA?
If he is that big of a talent on the offensive side, you find a position for him. If he really has the chance to be anything close to Miguel Cabrera, you would trade him for a reliever? Just seems like that he was so untouchable and now, anything they like they will offer him up. I could be reading too much into it, and if he’s really that good the Royals made a huge mistake. Only time will tell though
You’re right, that’s why I struggle believing this rumor at all. I don’t think the Yanks would make it and I don’t think the Royals would decline.
I saw this on a Royals forum yesterday, and it made me laugh. So I will share with you all.
Montero AAA Age 20: .274/.350/.462/.812
Billy Butler AAA Age 21: .291/.412/.542/.954
I know there is a 1 year age difference, but to me, Montero was aggressively promoted. And it won’t make that much of a difference at that level. He also does not walk enough to be adequate at 1B without an incredible batting average.
The point is not that Billy Butler is a better player (an Billy is MLB average offensively at the position now), but that Montero’s numbers do not necessarily project to “MVP Caliber,” especially as the consensus emerges that he will not stick at catcher. Montero will hit in the Majors, but I would bet against him even being much of an above average bat at 1B or DH without quite a bit of further development in plate discipline. Unless the guy is Ryan Howard or Vlad Guerrero, you just do not see these types of big bats work out without a 11-15% walk rate.
I suspect the Yankees, as well as the rest of the MLB, know he is a decent player, but his prospect status is over-inflated. They want to cash in now while the hype is there. That is likely why they will give him up for a player they really like, but it would seem that they would overpay a lot. Next year, his stock might not be so high. And if he hits the Majors and people find out he is not the greatest bat “in the history of whatever”, then his value would go down a lot.
Perhaps the Royals don’t want to buy retail on a bat that will be on sale two years from now…
The only thing they may be questioning is his future position. Many people project him as a 1B or OF. The Yankees obviously have 1st tied up for awhile, and as for catcher, they have two other very highly thought of guys that are good hitters and much better catchers than Montero.
If I were Soria or Greinke I would’ve requested a trade years ago. Royals are going nowhere. At least teams like the Rays, Padres and Reds have built a decent team. Royals just sell every year.
I cannot argue that the Royals at the major league level haven’t made a lot of great moves. For every Soria there’s a Crisp and Jacobs.
However, to say they’re ‘going nowhere’ is inaccurate I think. If you take the time to look at their farm system and see how stocked it has become under Moore the last 4 years you may be surprised. What was once probably the worst farm system in the Majors is now top 10 or possibly top 5.
They are going in the right direction…but likely it won’t be until 2013 before the fruits of the investment in the minors pays off.
It also took each of those teams nearly a decade to build the teams that they have…new mgmt needs 8-10 years to watch their vision come to fruition. The Yankees sucked for 15 years before they grew their own talent, why should the Royals be any different?
Have you even seen the farm system? They are rebuilding and that is why they are looking to 2012 or 2013. There farm system is one of the best in the league. Why would you sell guys that are locked up for 4 years and well below-market value? Greinke, Butler, and Soria are the heart of the franchise and are locked up. These are the guys whom you build your team around if you’re rebuilding. You don’t sell them.
Maybe it’s my “typical New Yorker” attitude, but that’s so bizarre to me. Whatever, trading Montero for a reliever is retarded (in my and WAR’s opinion) so this is a huge relief to me.
Wow there’s a refreshing story.
Royals rejected Montero for Soria? yikes
What kind of person ENSURES that he can’t make it on a team that has a chance to win every dang year? I know there’s a ton of pressure but come on! He could be replacing Mo Freakin’ Rivera someday if he went on the Yanks. I honestly just don’t understand Soria’s logic.
EDIT: I forgot that Rivera is going to pitch until he’s 70. Sorry, Soria.
I’m a royals fan and it’s very obvious that kc is trying to build for the future. But trading soria is NOT the way to build for the future. He’s 26 and is our shut down closer. It would be wise if the royals kept him. I don’t understand why they’re even listening to offers for soria
Are they building for the future? It seems like the Pirates and the Royals have been “building for the future” for years.
@Zeppelin5083 yea but we suck at it. We’ve had terrible management up until Dayton Moore. He seems like he’s the only one actually making an effort. This is his 5th year. He’s had some great draft picks and our minor leagues are PACKED with talent but we just need to keep developing them and HANG on to them. Which seems to be our hardest problem. (Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon)
Ditto on Nathan beck’s post. Moore has been the GM that has been most patient, although signing free agents like Pods, Ankiel, and Kendall is hurting his reputation. Before Moore, we only said we were building for the future.
The real problem is one the Royals tend to rush their next best prospect into the limelight before they’re ready. See Alex Gordon. Anyone who loves the Royals tends to see their next power hitting prospect and say “Look, it’s the next George Brett.” And management tends to respond by rushing them up before they’re really ready. The real question is how are they going to deal with Moose, Hosmer, and Mongomery next year.
Pods and Ankiel are not the problem. Those were one year rentals to try and field a legitimate team fans would come to see. OF prospects for the Royals does hit AA and AAA this year, so those signings were to prevent from rushing players and destroying their development.
The Guillen signing, Farnsworth signing, and Betancourt trade were much more indefensible.
If Soria is really out there the Reds need to be calling the Royals hourly. Bring him on board and push everyone down a peg. Soria is one of the best closers in the game and he’d be wasted in NY.
I’m sure that he has his reasons for not wanting to go to NY, I know I wouldn’t want to go anywhere if I signed that kind of contract to stay in KC.
Good.
@Zeppelin5083 yea but we suck at it. We’ve had terrible management up until Dayton Moore. He seems like he’s the only one actually making an effort. This is his 5th year. He’s had some great draft picks and our minor leagues are PACKED with talent but we just need to keep developing them and HANG on to them. Which seems to be our hardest problem. (Carlos Beltran, Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon)
Drayton Moore is a terrible GM its like he doesnt understand the concept of on base percentage. He does however like you accurately said, have a fantastic eye for drafting. Make him the Scouting Director and get a new GM and that team would be in much better shape. Hes done a superb job bringing in amatuer talent and now the Royals have a top 1-3 system (Rangers or Rays in the mix)
I wish more guys would have that same No – Trade Clause.. Good man
The article says that the clause could be used as leverage, not that he definately wouldn’t go there. I for one would NOT want to see him in pinstripes though.
As a Yankees fan, I would admit management tends to be short-sighted….the mentally is what can we do to win now? The bullpen is a glaring weakness and with another top catching prospect in AA they could afford to lose Montero. Soria will be a instant 8th inning shut down pitcher and heir apparent to Rivera. I would prefer not to lose Montero, the kid hits to all fields and has raw power (25-35HR a year potential). Can we trade Chamberlain somewhere as a starter + a prospect for a relief pitcher?
Frankly, (and I say this is a Yankee fan) every single player that signs a contract with team options years and gets no-trade protection should put the Yankees on their list. Why? Because the Yankees are the team that, financially, can most easily pick up an option year or two at the time of acquisition.
As a Red Sox fan I love this. It’s not very often that a player has the Yankees on his no-trade clause.
Which doesn’t mean he won’t waive it for them
Very true. But I’m sure he wants to be the closer wherever he goes so I doubt that he will. Normally, when a player doesn’t want to go to a certain team it doesn’t happen (even though there are some exceptions like Jake Peavy).
I’m just overjoyed that so many people on here think Soria is a good man solely because his no trade clause. Suck it, Yankees.
What is the source saying the Yanks offered Montero for Soria? because Ken Davidoff mentions in his blog that they never did.
The Montero rumor came from Stark, who has proven he’s clueless with a number of rumors regarding different teams. I find it hard to believe the Yankees offered their best prospect for someone that projects as a set-up man.
If I were the Royals, I would be looking to trade Soria for a young, ML-ready bat. A closer doesn’t have much value to a team that’s going to lose more games than it wins regardless of who they have pitching the 9th. I think he’s a strong enough reliever to bring them back a decent young player.
I have my doubts on that trade offer, it doesn’t make sense. Montero was offered for Lee on because Lee was a “special case” according to Cashman.
I disagree. As a Royals fan, the biggest inconsistency has been pitching. We are, and have been, leading the league in hitting (.280) but without the OPS. Sure, they lack power and have trouble scoring but pitching is the biggest need. Soria is the only piece in our bullpen that is a sure thing.
I’m kinda curious who the other 5 teams are. I’m willing to bet it’s either the whole northeastern region (the 6 teams that are furthest from Mexico) or 6 teams that have the most unmovable closers.
Just got word from my sources, Soria doesn’t want to play for the Yankees because rings give him awful skin irritation.
How did Soria get a non-trade clause so early?
Yeah the Yankees are all broken up1st Place in their Division – New York YankeesBest Record in Baseball – New York YankeesDefending World Series Champions – New York YankeesBoo hoo, boo hoo, who gives two you know the restJoakim Soria doesn’t make or break the New York Yankees Someone like a Sean Marshall of the Cubs already entrenched in a setup role would sufficeHeck David Robertson has started to develop into that role and will supplant ChamberlainNot every player has to want to play for the Yankees and frankly the Yankees don’t need Joakim Soria to succeed last time I checked who was the World Series Champions and best team in baseball in 2010
lol I wish there was a dislike team
Could the Phillies be in the market for Soria? Lidge is good when he’s good and not when he’s not. on a team that’s contending that isn’t good enough.
Three way trade proposal:
Giants get Werth
Phillies get Soria, Gil Meche and cash considerations
Royals get a top prospect and a B- prospect from Giants and two C prospects from Phillies.
wait, what? werth isn’t worth a top prospect and a b- prospect.
That’s your problem with that trade??? Not the Phillies fleece everyone part.
Ok, yes. Closers are overvalued and overpaid… but at the same time can anyone imagine a yanks dynasty without Wetteland or Rivera coming out at the end of the game? Soria is 25, has an incredibly team friendly contract, and is currently easily a top 5 closer. He will cost more than a top prospect and if not then a handful of solid prospects. Because when we say B-/C prospects we’re really implying players who will likely never make it out of AAA or if they do it’ll be with another team when they’re reaching 30.
Alright… this thread seems to have generally only a few responses. So for everyone’s convenice here’s a list of common answers:
1) You’re a yankee fan who now dislikes Soria because he is not a yankee fan.
2) You’re a yankee fan who thinks Montero is better anyway.
3) You’re a yankee fan who is willing to accept Soria’s opinion.
4) You’re an anti-yank who finds this funny.
5) You’re a non-biased fan who says there’s a reason.
6) You’re a non-Yankee fan that is applauding Soria for having the Yankees on his no-trade list.
Btw, I’m number 2/3.
Wouldn’t that be kinda like #4?
Yeah they’re similar, but there are some people on here that are only posting things like “good job Soria” so I figured I’d add it.
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
For one, the Yankees didn’t make a “big offer” for Soria. It was Montero-Soria, straight up. He’s one of the few good players on the Royals and we’re grooming a core to help us compete in the central and by the time they’re ML ready, he’ll only be in his early 30s. Keeping him is what’s best for KC.
Plus, I DOUBT this was serious and more than some journalist on a slow day trying to boost his page-views.
Also, if we trade Soria, our bullpen will make Arizona’s look like gods among men. The rest of our bullpen is crap and all our best pitching prospects are starters. We’d have no one to fill the hole.
Royals mgmt would have to be complete clowns to trade Soria. We need more guys like him (young, great, cheap and signed) – not fewer. These rumors get out there because people just assume everyone on the Royals is available, and the Yankees can just buy them like they are window shopping. If the Yankees need another reliever, they can have Farnsworth. No, seriously, just take him. Free of charge. We’ll throw in Guillen and Betancourt to cover the shipping costs.
I was going to say I would trade Soria, but I just checked his contract. That’s a fantastic contract. If you can’t get Montero + 2 B/B+ Pitching Prospects, I wouldn’t trade Soria (to the Yankees).
A dominant relief pitcher is a key part of any championship team, but it’s much less important to a rebuilding team. With few leads to protect and no important leads to protect, trading Soria to build for 2012 seems like it would be fantastic for the Royals.
Maybe this is why the Royals didn’t pluck Montero from the HOF.
Maybe this dominant closer doesn’t want to be a setup guy for Rivera for the next X years. Can we blame him?
He wants to be The Man. You’ll never be The Man when you share a mound with Mariano.
Smartest answer of the lot,
Going into the role of a setup man from a Major League closer is a step backwards
No one can argue that.
Setup men usually become closers not the other way around.
Maybe he saw that the OF walls are like 250 feet from home plate and thought “No thank you.”
That’s Boston you’re thinking of.
No, it’s right field in New York. Aside from the Pesky Pole, at least Boston has the sense to make the wall high if it has to be that close. I saw Granderson hit two routine pop flies to left off the trademark against KC that went into the second deck in right.
First off Joakim Soria is not coming to the Yankees to be a setup man
Secondly are folks that bitter that every time a story of the Yankees pops up its a mountain made out of a molehill
O.M.G. Joakim Soria has a No Trade Clause that includes the Yankees.
Soria is an MLB closer, not a setup man, don’t know about you but Yankees or no Yankees I want to be the man that is called upon to finish the games.
There is a reason why very good setup man rarely stay long in that role.
Look at Rivera when he came up, John Wetteland was gone the next season and he became the closer. Its baseball 101
Folks always feel the need to make more out of something than what it is when it comes to the Yankees.
There are many guys on the trade market and Yankees team that could emerge as a setup man between now and the playoffs. It doesn’t even need to be one guy for the 8th inning you can use a righty and a lefty to get through the 8th inning.
They don’t need Joakim Soria for that role.
P.S. Rivera isn’t going anywhere soon
Good post Mac!
I’m going to take this a step further for our Yankee faithful on here…..
Most EVERY player with a no-trade list should have the Yankees on it! Why? No, not because of the right field porch. No not because Mo blocks the closer spot. No, not because NY is too big a stage. It’s because these players and their agents know that if the Yankees really want the guy, they absolutely CAN get them to spend more money and pick up whatever options are left….or maybe kick in another X mill to get him to waive it etc. It’s baseball ECON 101!
Soria might well want to remain a closer too…I totally agree with that. But he is also friendly with Mo and any competitive player would rather be the closer-in-waiting for a year or two on the best club in baseball rather than rack up saves for a celler dweller.
I agreed with everything until that last part. I doubt Mo will be only in the league for another year or 2. He’s 39 and still the best closer in baseball. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the yanks make another 3 year commitment. In that time… well set up men, even in new york, can easily become obscure, no matter how good they are.
Respect the reply….but Mo is not 39, he is 40 and will be 41 in November.
Yes, he IS still the best closer in baseball and the best of all time. Frankly, he may actually be a vampire (lol) …however, at this age, if you’re the Yankees, it would be smart to think about grooming his successor.
Eh, still think a 3 year commitment wouldn’t be a surprise. But ultimately it does come down to what Mo wants. If he wants to retire shortly then yeah, the yanks will probably take another run at Soria in this offseason or next. Where everything would probably get done by simply renegotiating Soria’s deal.
I disagree. Guys with Mo’s competitive nature, rings and awards don’t wait till they start rapidly going down hill/get rocked before they retire. They go out on top. Look for either a two-year deal or a string of one-year options at a high dollar like the Yanks did with Andy.
QUICK EVERYONE MAKE SWEEPING COMMENTS ABOUT HOW SORIA ISN’T MAN ENOUGH TO PITCH FOR THE YANKEES.
Oh wait. People did already.
So there are, what, 10 or so of us sensible enough to understand that it’s because he wants to be a closer and not a setup man? Sad.
Every time I hear about the Yankees wanting to trade for Soria to be a set-up man for Mo, as a Red Sox fan, all I can think of is Eric Gange.
It’s nice to see the Yankees get rejected one in a while. Makes you feel like the world is normal again.
Yes!! he wont be another one of those guys who says “All my life I dreamed of playing for the Yankees”
Wow all of a sudden Soria may just be one of my favorite players…and how bout that bum Greinke?? I always said he was overrated…
I know Soria is a beast but how come the Yankees offered Montero?? they need a dh right now, why not call him up to the majors and let him dh?? he cant be any worse than miranda…If he hits well as a dh for the rest of this season they wont have to go after a guy like Adam Dunn in the offseason. Cheaper option…but maybe since George Steinbrunner died they are trying to do everything to win this season for him…
Yeah, plus, if they call him up and he is a beast for the next couple months it helps his trade value, since the Yanks seem desperate to get rid of him. Maybe they know something we don’t (like he’ll fail) and they’re afraid to “show” everyone what he will really be like in the majors.
Because he only has a .808 OPS in AAA? He’s not exactly lighting the world on fire down there.
I think that it’s simply a cash reason, he wants his options picked up by NY or an extension. If he’s thinking about being “demoted” to set up Rivera, he should reconsider. He could be learning from the absolute best ever, plus, even if Mo is aging perfectly fine and could probably pitch quite a few more years, Soria would be a given lock for the closer role when the inevitable happens, plus he would be on a team that offers him an opportunity where he can get a ring on a yearly basis, and not only get a ring, but be a big part of getting it and making it down the stretch.
As a Yankee fan, I would LOVE to get Soria, to me he seems to be the most reliable and consistent closer, sans Rivera. However, I would be reluctant to give up Montero for him, I’d be willing to give up pretty much anyone in the minors except Montero, I’d be willing to give up a larger package of prospects if it didn’t include Jesus.
Oh well, a man can only dream…
I bet a few people would like to withdrawn previous comments at this point. Is it just me, or did he just get a little more expensive too? I don’t remember seeing any $6mm figures thrown around previously.
Hmm, that block list is actually very clever. It’s 6 teams with the means to trade for him over the next several years and may actually need him. Not only that, but they’re a handful of teams that could conceivably be coerced to renegotiate his contract.
It’s more likely that they were teams with established closers.
Very possible. Looking at closers when Soria signed that contract:Yankees – RiveraRed Sox – PapelbonTigers – Zumaya (looked like the closer of the future)Phillies – LidgeCardinals – Isringhausen (looked excellent in the preceding seasons)Cubs – Marmol (closer of the future at the time)It’s understandable to see why he thought he’d have been blocked for all these teams during the tenure of the contract. For 3 of those teams he still would be.
RE: THE UPDATE: In addition to the Yanks, Soria’s no-trade list includes “Red Sox, Tigers, Phillies, Cardinals or Cubs”.So… does he just not want save opportunities, or what?
(you know, except for the Cubs, who wouldn’t give him any anyway… but then he probably just doesn’t want to be a Cub, and who can blame him?)
He hates baseball history.
Touché.
Hey ill give you guys Hanrahan for Montero and Joba…deal?
Funny how there were posts of Red Sox, Tigers and Phillies fans laughing at the Yankees not being able to get Soria (at least as of right now). Guess they can laugh no longer.
Naw, I still laugh!
Soria’s agent knows what he’s doing. Check the list of the highest payrolls when his contract was signed, and I’d bet it’s not too different from this no trade list. An NTC is just another way of squeezing more money in the event of a trade.
EXACTLY.
If that was the case, where are the Mets, Dodgers, Mariners, Angels, White Sox, and the Braves? All of whom where top 10 teams payroll wise. The other four were the Yanks, Tigers, Cubs, and Red Sox.
I’m a Red Sox fan and I still laugh at this because at least he won’t be a Yankee.
Like Damon and Clemens weren’t going to be.
Why weren’t they going to be a member of the Yankee organization? All Damon cared about was money and Clemens kinda didn’t like the Red Sox organization anymore after those who ran it were calling him washed up amongst other things. Just because they played for the Red Sox doesn’t mean that there is a guarantee that they won’t play for the Yankees.
Ok buddy, good luck.
How does that even make sense?
So where are all those wonderful, inferior little Red Sox fans from yesterday who tried to claim he just “didn’t want to pitch for the Yankees”?
Guess what, the Sox are the list too.
And all this BS about the Yankees mistreating Mexicans is just that, BS. What a joke.
The Red Sox being on the list means that he does want to pitch for the Yankees? Curious logic.
Huh?
That’s not what I wrote…I wrote that all the red sox clowns who asserted that he doesn’t want to pitch for the Yankees were wrong. doesn’t mean he wants to or doesn’t want to. If the Yankees being on that list is indicative that he doesn’t want to, then you can say the same about the Champions of Inferiority (the Boston Red Sox) since they find themselves on that very same list.
I couldn’t care less if Soria wants to pitch in NY or not. The NYY Freight Train will still roll on.
“I wrote that all the red sox clowns who asserted that he doesn’t want to pitch for the Yankees were wrong.”
No they’re still on his no trade list.
“doesn’t mean he wants to or doesn’t want to.”
This contradicts the previous sentence.
“If the Yankees being on that list is indicative that he doesn’t want to, then you can say the same about the Champions of Inferiority (the Boston Red Sox) since they find themselves on that very same list.”
Sure.
Thomas, read between the lines pal…just because a team is on a player’s no trade list doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t pitch for that team.
Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn’t. My argument is that in the right circumstance (and for the right $$$), I’d guess that Soria would pitch for just about any team in baseball.
This could be nothing more than a bargaining tool.
Or maybe he doesn’t want to pitch for any of those teams.
I’m merely taking the time to point and laugh at all the clowns who were so quick to jump on the fact that the Yankees were on someone’s NTR. Top that off with all the BS about mistreatment of Mexicans by the Yankees…you gotta be kidding me.
Well, calling people clowns and inferior makes your posts as weak as theirs. Try to lay off the name calling and let your argument speak for itself.
What you said contradicts yourself. When someone says they don’t want to play for a team it usually means that they don’t want to play on that team. Oh and you take offense way to easily saying Champions of Inferiority when the Yankess are only the most successful franchise is because all of their champioships have been bought starting when they bought Babe Ruth from the Red Sox. The Red Sox do have the 3rd most championships.
This isn’t intended to rub it in, but they don’t have the 3rd, they are 4th. Yankees have 27, Cardinals have 10, Athletics have 9, Red Sox have 7
Very true I forgot about the A’s. I forget that they used to play in Philadelphia.
yeah, some stupid stuff was said yesterday concerning this matter.
I guarantee that Soria would be more than happy to pitch for Boston, Chicago, Detroit, NYY, etc etc if the opportunity was there and made sense.
He has a vesting option based on finishing games. He doesn’t want to go anywhere that he won’t be doing that. Fairly simple. Now, could he conceivably be convinced to do so with a restructure that guarantees him that money anyway? Possibly, but I doubt it would be so hard to top that $6MM in free agency anyway. Perhaps the man just likes closing and doesn’t want to be a setup man.
Yes it was.
So where are all those wonderful, inferior little Red Sox fans from yesterday who tried to claim he just “didn’t want to pitch for the Yankees”? Guess what, the Sox are on the list too. And all this BS about the Yankees mistreating Mexicans is just that, BS. What a joke.
Its called business tactics.
Huh?
What’s the point of saying inferior little Red Sox fans. It sounds like you are trying to start a fight. People were only saying what was reported at the time which was that he doesn’t want to pitch for the Yankees. If this report had come out before then I’m sure people would be saying it obvious that he just doesn’t want to pitch on a big stage. It actually felt good for Red Sox fans to be able to know that someone finally doesn’t want to go to the Yankees, if he doesn’t want to go to the Red Sox thats fine, but at least he doesn’t want to go to the Yankees.
Evan, you gotta fight fire with fire. I read dozens of comments yesterday on here and in other comment sections regarding this topic with Red Sox fans bashing the Yankees and using a variety of derogatory references towards them. I have zero problem returning the favor.
Well the Red Sox fans shouldn’t be saying stuff like that because right now us Red Sox fans have no right to say that the Yankees suck when we are trailing them by what is it 7 or 8 games now. I just don’t see the point of starting an argument over calling fans and organizations names. I only see an argument worth having when it’s over player performances and whether or not a team should trade or trade for a player and how much to get in return or give up. The only point that a Red Sox fan would have when saying a derogatory anything is that it’s very much unfair to the rest of the league with how high of a payroll they have.
I don’t think it hasn’t been posted on MLBTR yet, but the NY Post said the Blue Jays offered Scott Downs to the Yankees for Joba and Yankees turned it down.
nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/yanks_balk_at_jays_pri…
“He has a vesting option based on finishing games. He doesn’t want to go anywhere that he won’t be doing that. Fairly simple. Now, could he conceivably be convinced to do so with a restructure that guarantees him that money anyway? Possibly, but I doubt it would be so hard to top that $6MM in free agency anyway. Perhaps the man just likes closing and doesn’t want to be a setup man.”
Great point…probably has a lot more to do with this than not wanting to pitch for any particular team. He’s got a good agent.
Why Philly is on there God only knows. If he can’t see that they’d kick Lidge (or whoever) to the curb for him…
I still think he could get more in FA from a better club to still close games.
The Yankees’s interest is no doubt related to some concern about Joba moving forward. I’m they’re exploring and planning for life after Rivera as they should. If Soria doesn’t want to have a crack at that, that’s fine by me.
But yes, the Lidge would be quickly displaced.
I wonder when his contract was written up…I’m sure I could find out pretty quickly but I’m too lazy to look.
Someone above did the legwork.
Wow. You seem to never see a guy who doesn’t want to play for either the Yanks and/or Red Sox. This is refreshing.
The Yankees are on someone’s no-trade? BIZARRO WORLD.
It’s even more weird that every team that is on his no-trade list are either the best or highest market teams in the MLB. He may change his mind in the future but it sounds like he just doesn,t want to pitch in a what would be a pressure place to pitch if he played for any of those teams.
Maybe he prefers the small-market atmosphere? Or maybe it’s just for leverage. No idea.
Or maybe he’s just being financially shrewd and is picking the large-market teams to go on his no-trade clause, knowing they’re more likely to give him financial incentives to waive his no-trade clause?
So basically all big market teams that he can use his no trade clause in to leverage for more money. Its not about not wanting to play in new york, its about using the no trade clause in to getting more money from the richer teams.
If that list is correct, it seems like it’s backwards. It should read as an approved teams list for most major leaguers.
Yeah, I really don’t understand Soria’s thinking. Does he want to win or does he only care for personal achievements?
this is what i was talking about yesterday. The guy doesn’t want the pressure of playing for a winner. He enjoys losing … im a huge yankee fan but come on.. red sox on that no trade list also? they are in it every year too… the guy hates pressure, whimp!
Given the payrolls of the teams he declined, I wouldn’t be surprised if Soria’s agent was setting him up to pull a reverse Oswalt, and demand that if one of those teams acquire him, they decline his club options, so he can get more money on the open market or from the team that acquires him. I am sure if Soria hit the open market next year, his yearly salary would top the 8.5 max he can make on his last option year. 3 years where the club has all the power in contract decision is not desirable for a player. If he is happy with those figures he could also pull an Oswalt and just demand the options become guaranteed. It is also smart given his games finished incentives to avoid teams with established closers in case he and his agent are not the type to play hardball with the options.
Given the other names on the list besides the yankees, its clear that what the smart commenters were saying yesterday was right, the list is rooted in a business decision, and not the fact that he “doesn’t have the bawls to pitch in NY” or “will never pitch for the yankees”.
Why would it matter if his option vests? If he stays uninjured, any team will run to pick up a 6 million option on him whether he’s the closer or the setup man. And if he doesn’t want to set up, wouldn’t he hope they DON’T pick up his option? He can make a lot more than 6 million as a free agent. I can’t imagine the vesting option actually makes a difference to Soria.
Wow I guess Soria isn’t much for winning
I mean who would rather play for the Royals over the Yanks and Red Sox or the Pirates over the Cardinals. I guess he thinks they’re good teams and will hurt his value meaning those are teams when he signed his contract he most likely thought he wouldn’t be the closer on but he actually would be on the Phillies or Cardinals. Seems money is by far most important to him so good luck have fun pitching last place baseball