Monday, January 3, 2011

White Sox possibility for Soriano?

Via Doug Mittler of ESPN...

For weeks, the silence in the market for Rafael Soriano was deafening.
Soriano established himself as a bona fide closer with 45 saves for the Tampa Bay Rays, but generated few if any serious suitors in the first two months of the offseason. Soriano's status as a Type A free agent, which requires additional compensation, isn't helping his cause.
With the holidays over, perhaps the market will pick up. Jon Heyman of SI.com tweeted Saturday that there is some interest from the White Sox, but the club already has spent its available free agent dollars.
Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune wrote over the weekend that Soriano would be a fit for the White Sox if they found a taker for Edwin Jackson or Gavin Floyd, allowing Chris Sale to move into the starting rotation.
The possibility of Soriano serving as a set-up man to Mariano Rivera with the Yankees was bandied about last week. Heyman wrote Wednesday that the Yankees already have inquired about Soriano.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal tweeted Thursday that the Yankees are not going after the reliever. IfAndy Pettitte were to retire, the Yankees could rely on an ultra-deep bullpen led by Rivera and Soriano to make up for a thinned rotation.
Soriano is looking for a three-year contract, and that could be his main problem. As Dave Cameron of Fangraphs.com wrote last month, giving contracts of three-plus years to a reliever can be a very bad idea.




Soriano would be a welcome addition to a White Sox bullpen that recently saw former closer go and sign with the Red Sox to help set up for Jonathan Papelbon.  With Soriano as closer, the White Sox would boost one of the deeper bullpens in baseball from both sides of the plate (lefty Matt Thorton, righties Jesse Crain and Tony Pena).  As for the Yankees, news surfaced today the the team will be hearing from left handed starter Andy Pettitte as to whether he will be returning to pitch another season or retire.  If Pettitte were to retire (along with the combination of the Yankees not acquiring another ace starter), acquiring Soriano could be the Yankees best bet to improve their entire pitching situation.  With Soriano setting up for Mariano Rivera, the Yankees could imploy a strategy similar to the one former manager Joe Torre used in winning a World Series Championship in 1996 (6 innings from starter, 2 from Soriano, Rivera to close it out).

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