Rafael Soriano was arguably the most valuable player for the New York Yankees last season, taking over for Mariano Rivera after he seriously injured his knee.
Soriano likely was going to turn that performance into a mega-payday this offseason and he did just that on Tuesday as he signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. Soriano previously opted out of his three-year deal with the Yankees following the 2012 season so he could become a free agent.
According to sources close to the situation who spoke to ESPN and the Washington Post, Soriano and the Nationals agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal that $14 million option for 2015 that will vest if Soriano finished 120 games combined over the 2013 and 2014 seasons. According to the report, team owner Ted Lerner was heavily involved in bringing Soriano to Washington.
The Yankees gave Soriano a one-year qualifying offer since they knew they likely were going to lose him after bringing back Rivera in the closer role. Since the Nationals signed him, they will have to give the Yankees their No. 31 overall pick and will also lose out on some bonus pool money attached to the selection.
Soriano had an exceptional season for the Yankees after taking over for Rivera, earning 42 saves with 69 strikeouts and a 2.26 ERA in 67 2/3 innings.
One of the main reasons Soriano took so long to sign was due to the fact that his agent is Scott Boras and he was looking for a ton of money. Most teams couldn't afford a reliever at that price, but tyeh Nationals see an opportunity in the National League after winning the NL East division last year for the first time.
Soriano will provide depth and power pitching to the bullpen with his 2.78 career ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The team already has Drew Storen and Tyler Clippard, but Soriano is known to want to close wherever he pitches, so it will be interesting to see how the Nationals deal with the situation. The Nationals could trade one of their pieces, but it is likely they will go with the trio for late inning situations.
Last season Clippard saved 32 games, while Storen had four saves and 24 strikeouts and a 2.37 ERA after appearing in 37 games.
Soriano helped keep the Yankees in contention all season after Rivera was lost to injury. The Dodgers, Rangers and Braves were reportedly interested in Soriano during the offseason, but he opted to wait out the market to sign with the Nationals.
Soriano began his career in the Mariners organization where he became a top-flight reliever, putting up a 2.25 ERA in 53 games for the team in 2006. He spent the next three seasons with the Braves after being acquired in a trade and took the closer role in 2009, saving 27 games. He broke out big time in his one year with the Tampa Bay Rays, saving 45 games and posting a 1.73 ERA in 2010.
Following his stellar season, Soriano signed a three-year, $35 million contract with the Yankees, which was approved by ownership, although general manager Brian Cashman did not like the deal. After working one season as a setup man for Rivera, Soriano was thrust into the closers role after Rivera went down. Over his two seasons with the Yankees he posted 44 saves and 105 strikeouts.
At 33-years-old Soriano is still a viable closer and with Storen and Clippard also in the bullpen, the Nationals will have options to work with. The team lost Tom Gorzelanny, Mike Gonzalez as well as Sean Burnett in the offseason to a two-year deal with the Angels and now will have a glut of pitchers on the back end.
Manager Davey Johnson used the bullpen a lot during the 2012 season and the pitchers seemed worn down by the time the playoffs rolled around. Another powerful arm that has averaged 56 games of the past seven years would be a way to deter that. Washington will have flexibility on how they use their relievers, as Soriano will join Clippard, Storen, Ryan Mattheus, Christian Garcia and Henry Rodriguez in the bullpen.
The Nationals ranked third in the National League last season with 51 saves and were in the top five in quality starts. The team was ranked fifth-best in blown saves with 17 and had a save percentage at 75 percent, ranked fifth, just ahead of the San Diego Padres.
This offseason the team signed pitcher Dan Haren, re-signed first baseman Adam LaRoche and traded for outfielder Denard Span. The Nationals had the best record in baseball last year and will get a full season out of Stephen Strasburg, who was shut down before the playoffs due to an innings limit set by GM Mike Rizzo.
