※ 引述《hatebrothers (我恨爪爪)》之銘言：
: Yankees probably won’t welcome back Rafael Soriano
: Closer Rafael Soriano still is a free agent, but a return to the Yankees
: seems unlikely. Soriano opted out of the final year of his Yankees deal after
: saving 42 games in place of the injured Mariano Rivera.
: “I cannot talk about players on the free-agent market,” [Yankees general
: manager] Brian Cashman said. “But I am not looking for bullpen help, I can
: tell you that.”
: Soriano would have made $14 million in 2013 had he not exercised that opt-out
: clause. He also declined a one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer from the
: Yankees back in November. His agent is Scott Boras.
: http://ppt.cc/pQF_
: GG囉 Sori:Bora$誤我...
Boras$: 太小看我是會被打臉的。
Nationals load up in bullpen with Rafael Soriano for two years, $28 million
The Washington Nationals obviously feel like there's more than one way to
build a pitching staff. Unable to make a huge splash with Zack Greinke and
unwilling to meet the demands of several left-handed relievers on the
free-agent market, the Nats made a big commitment to Rafael Soriano on
Tuesday, signing him for two years and $28 million. The contract also calls
for a vesting option for 2015 — all reported first by Yahoo! Sports' own
Jeff Passan — meaning if Soriano is healthy and pitches effectively, it's
practically a three-year deal.
Soriano in 2012 finished with 2.26 ERA and 69 strikeouts and 42 saves in 69
appearances, filling in flawlessly for Mariano Rivera. His addition to Tyler
Clippard and Drew Storen gives the Nats one of the more talented bullpen back
ends in the league. Storen was great for the Nats until Game 5 of the NLDS
when the St. Louis Cardinals made the king of comebacks and stole the series.
As beat reporter Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post concluded in his
Nostradamus-like post earlier this month, having Soriano and Storen gives
Nats manager Davey Johnson "A" and "B" closers. Think Roger McDowell and
Jesse Orosco from the Mets, from back in the day. Clippard, another
right-handed pitcher who actually is better against lefties, might be better
suited for the "Orosco" role but ... the Nats will cross (or burn) that
bridge when they get to it.
When they lost Greinke to the Dodgers, the Nats made a smaller splash with
Dan Haren in order to fill out their starting rotation. But having the likes
of Clippard, Storen and Soriano in any combination seriously shortens the
opportunities opponents would have to mount a comeback. Assuming that
Storen's meltdown in the playoffs was just a hiccup.
So, else does this deal mean?
‧ Scott Boras wins again! Soriano's agent stayed calm as other players who
were not his clients signed deals this offseason. Soriano appeared to have
dwindling choices but the money he received for the years is abou the best he
could expect. And he has gone from a winning franchise, the Yankees, to one
also on the verge of the World Series. Michael Bourn and Kyle Lohse, other
big names for Boras, remain unsigned at the moment. It's not likely that
either would sign in Washington, a franchise where Boras seems to have
friends.
‧ After losing Soriano in free agency, along with Nick Swisher to the
Indians, the Yankees get compensation and thus have three draft picks near
the end of the first round — Nos. 29, 31 and 32. The Yankees figure to spend
all of their allotted draft money, given their recent cheapness with the
major league payroll.
‧ The Nats also re-signed David LaRoche and traded for Denard Span this
offseason. They still have depth at second base, and with slugger Michael
Morse, to possibly trade in order to shore up any weaknesses.