Getty Images Well, this certainly came out of nowhere.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that free agent reliever Rafael Soriano has agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract with the Nationals, who lose their first-round draft pick in order to sign him.
Soriano was one of three remaining free agents with draft pick compensation attached. All three of them (Soriano, Kyle Lohse, Michael Bourn) are represented by agent Scott Boras and there’s been all sorts of speculation that they’d struggle to secure multi-year deals, but Soriano at least has found a nice landing spot with a Nationals team that is flush with high-profile Boras clients.
Washington’s bullpen wasn’t exactly hurting, so it’ll be interesting to see how Soriano fits in with a group that already included Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard as the late-inning duo. According to Passan the two-year, $28 million deal also includes a $14 million option for 2015 that vests if Soriano has 120 games finished in 2013-2014, which would essentially require his being the Nationals’ full-time closer.
Soriano stepped in as the Yankees’ closer when Mariano Rivera injured his knee last season and saved 42 games with a 2.26 ERA. He’s battled injuries over the years, but when healthy Soriano has consistently been one of the best relievers in baseball with a 2.78 career ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s posted an ERA of 3.00 or lower in six of the past seven seasons, but $14 million per year and a draft pick is an awfully big price tag for a reliever.
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For the second time in a month Daric Barton was placed on waivers by the A’s and passed through without being claimed by any of the other 29 teams. Our own Bill Baer wondered over the weekend if Barton could be a fit for the Mets or other teams getting little production from first base,…
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The late Stan-the-Man’s house is on the market. Built in 1962 and, not surprisingly given the age of its owner when he passed, it rather looks it. But like Joe Morgan’s dated home (a) the bones are good and if you just redid the place it’d be fine; ad (b) it’d be kinda cool to…
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Patrick Corbin was never considered an elite prospect and had a decent but unspectacular rookie season for the Diamondbacks last year, throwing 107 innings with a 4.54 ERA and 86/25 K/BB ratio. He had to compete for the fifth starter job this spring and now … well, it’s safe to say his rotation spot is…
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Eh, probably not. But such speculation is way more fun than Dodgers and Angels baseball these days. Also: I inexplicably used the term “legit” twice in this video. Sorry, everyone.
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MLB is putting players in camouflage uniforms on Memorial Day. Which is kinda weird.
May 21, 2013, 1:30 PM EDT
Paul Lukas of UniWatch figured out that MLB is putting all teams in uniforms with camouflage design highlights on Memorial Day. He figured it out because the team store for each team has the jerseys on sale, with the note “as worn on-field, Memorial Day, May 27, 2013.” I’m informed by an MLB source that the…
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Chris Perez deleted his Twitter account because of ugly replies after blown saves
May 21, 2013, 1:20 PM EDT
Indians closer Chris Perez has been pretty active on Twitter over the years, but apparently the negative comments following a blown save Saturday and another poor outing Monday led him to delete the account last night. I can’t imagine having to deal with the angry, ugly comments that athletes receive on Twitter every day, let…
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Matt Kemp, Chris Singleton pledge help to Oklahoma tornado victims
May 21, 2013, 1:00 PM EDT
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Matt Kemp is an Oklahoma native, so the tragedy in Oklahoma City yesterday certainly hit home for him. He’s doing something about it: I’m giving $1000 for tonight’s HR and every HR until the All-Star break for the victims of my hometown in OKC. #PrayforOklahoma — Matt Kemp (@TheRealMattKemp) May 21, 2013 So too is…
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When last we saw Samuel Deduno he was playing hero for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, beating the United States and then Puerto Rico to win the title. He ended up not making the Twins out of spring training because of a groin injury suffered during the WBC, but Deduno is healthy…
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I know it’s hard to believe that a guy who alienated his entire clubhouse in Atlanta and then made headlines buy putting homophobic slurs on his eyeblack in Toronto did something douchey, but in this case it actually happened. Yunel Escobar, ladies and gents, playing Jedi master to Jordany Valdespin‘s padawan, strutting after a home…
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Logan Morrison began a minor-league rehab assignment last night, going 2-for-5 with two singles at Single-A. Morrison has been on the disabled list all season as he recovers from September knee surgery and he hasn’t played for the Marlins since last July. He’s already behind the initial timetable laid out, but barring more setbacks Morrison…
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People who know a bit about EPL soccer sometimes make comparisons between the big English soccer teams and the big major league baseball teams in order to explain the dynamic of that league to we soccer ignoramuses. Like, I once heard someone say Man U. was like the Yankees. Or maybe Arsenal. And Chelsea was…
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Jim Johnson being nearly flawless in the closer role played a huge part in the Orioles’ unexpected success last season, but suddenly he’s really struggling. Johnson converted 35 straight saves from July 30, 2012 to May 13, 2013, during which time he threw 44 innings with a 0.61 ERA. That streak came to an end…
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Must-click link: cheesecake pictures of early 80s baseball stars
May 21, 2013, 11:02 AM EDT
I guess whether this is truly “must-click” depends on how you roll. But if you like to look at once-young, once-handsome athletes in swimsuits, towels and, in a couple of cases, nothing but strategically-posed thighs — or if you’re not necessarily into that but are secure enough in your masculinity to appreciate how hilarious such…
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AP
Josh Johnson made his first minor-league rehab start yesterday, throwing three innings of one-run ball at Single-A. Johnson, who’s been out since April 21 with a strained triceps, struck out five and walked zero while allowing three hits against the Mets’ affiliate. Johnson had hoped to be back in the Blue Jays’ rotation by now,…
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This is a short article in the Pioneer Press, but two nuggets from it: Justin Morneau is pretty ambivalent about autographs because he knows most of the people trying to get them are memorabilia guys who are going to turn around and sell it; and His autographs are very legible because Harmon Killebrew told him…
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Corey Hart is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 30, but Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that the Brewers first baseman won’t be ready to return from right knee surgery by then. However, he has progressed enough to take batting practice yesterday and doing some running on the field. There’s still no…
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Aroldis Chapman allegedly ate 18 pastries before Sunday’s game
May 21, 2013, 9:46 AM EDT
I heard someone mention this yesterday but thought they were joking. Andy Martino of the Daily News, however, quotes Phillies broadcaster Rickie Ricardo, who claims that Aroldis Chapman ate 18 cream cheese-guava pastries before Sunday’s game. The game in which he blew the save, giving up a walkoff homer to Freddy Galvis: “Could you imagine cream…
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Some guys have 80 velocity, some guys have 80 movement. Some guys have 80 lack of impulse control: Ryan Mattheus will be placed on the disabled list after breaking his right hand Sunday in San Diego, an injury that didn’t occur during the Nationals’ 13-4 loss to the Padres but afterward when the right-hander punched…
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Barry Bonds: Miguel Cabrera is the best … but not as good as me
May 21, 2013, 8:53 AM EDT
I’m not sure why anyone would find that sentiment, voiced by Barry Bonds to Bob Nightengale, to be controversial. But I imagine they will. Anyway, here were the Home Run King’s exact words about Miguel Cabrera: “He’s definitely the best. It’s not rocket science here. He’s the best. By far. Without a doubt. The absolute best…
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And he did it while batting: Vogelsong was in the middle of easily his best start of the season when he swung at an inside pitch from Craig Stammen. The ball appeared to hit him squarely on the knuckles of his right hand, and Vogelsong was in obvious pain. He left the game and was…
