14
2011
Yankees Sign Rafael Soriano To 3-Year Deal
An article by Hojo's Mojo
According to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Yankees have agreed to terms with Rafael Soriano on a three-year, $35 million deal.
The deal comes as a big surprise because Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been very adamant that he would not give up the team’s first round draft pick to sign Soriano.
Soriano had a tremendous season in 2010 finishing with a sterling 1.73 ERA and 0.80 WHIP over 64 appearances as the Rays’ closer last season. He led the American League with 45 saves in 48 chances.
Simply put, Soriano is one of the elite closers in the league, but now he will be setting up for Mariano Rivera, the best closer in baseball history. Don’t worry about Soriano having a problem with being a setup man. He has stated on many occasions that the Yankees are the only team in baseball that he would accept anything less than the closers job.
So basically, the Yankees have given a relief pitcher $12 million annually to do something other than close, a baseball first.
Heyman also adds that Soriano can opt out after each of the first two years, so there’s a good chance he can become a free agent again if he doesn’t like the situation.
This is a bold move by the Yankees who have forfeited their first round pick to the Rays, are paying Soriano double what any other reliever makes in the game, and gave Soriano the ability to walk after next season. That is a hefty price, even for a player as great as Soriano.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
22 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 25 | 18 | .581 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 21 | .523 | 2.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 23 | .477 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 17 | 24 | .415 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 12 | 32 | .273 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/19/2013
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How stupid. 12 mil for a set up guy who can opt out plus giving up a pick? Wow.
Why not just give him a 1 year deal?
Oh yeah. How long will it take for all the Sandy badgers to come out and say something like “zomg fire Sandy for not giving out this wonderful contract?????”
Maybe they have an under the table agreement that Soriano becomes the closer after Rivera’s impending retirement if he likes it here. It does seem like a bad deal, but the Yankees can afford those.
If Soriano walks after one of the option years, do they get the draft pick of the team that gets him and the supplimental pick?
no. He would have to reach free agency for that.
Omar Cashman?
Just wanted to point something out and see if anyone else has noticed, what I have this past year and off season about Cashman. I have watched many of his interviews and read many of his statements,quotes, blurbs, etc and I find that in the past year he has become very arrogant and extremely cavalier in his attitude and approach. Which I think has backfired especially this off season.
Not only do I think Cliff Lee was turned off by what happened to his wife but, also the many strange and arrogant statements by Cashman in the media. I also feel others were turned off by the Yankees assumption that throwing the most money at people will get them to sign. Also his handling of the whole Derek Jeter negotiations was downright disrespectful and at times classless.
Personally, I think Jeter is furious and you will see him have a great season just to prove something. I also think this is his last contract and he is done and will not be attending many Yankee events upon his retirement. I think Cashman and the Yankees burned their bridge with him to a certain degree and the only reason he finally signed was he has always wanter to retire a Yankee and maintain his legacy. If not for that he would have been gone.
In closing I find Cashman’s change in persona interesting and strange. Who knows the cause of this change or why he has become more public with his thoughts and statements but, I see rough seas ahead for him and the organization if he does not check his ego. What are some of your thoughts folks?
I think the media invented a lot of the drama surrounding the Jeter negotiations. They needed a story and the Yankees like staying in the headlines, so they didn’t do much to stop it.
The way I understand it, neither side really made a formal offer until a little before the contract was actually signed. The numbers we originally heard that suppsoedly were causing such a rift in the relationship with Jeter were just feelers. Jeter’s agent mentioned a price tag just to take the temperature.
In the end, Jeter will be a 37 year old shortstop making $17 million a year for the next 3 years with an option for a 4th. He plays for one of the favorites to win the World Series and is the face of the most marketable franchise on the planet. Any hurt feelings he has will be washed away by rolling in his metric frak ton of money with his beautiful wife and probably a few of her girlfriends.
Not bad for a guy who just came off his worst offensive season ever.
That should be “the most marketable sports franchise on the planet”. As big as the Yankees are, they ain’t McDonalds.
I think there’s something to what you say and when you think about it, few GM’s have been able to “get away” with as many bad signings and trades for starting pitchers as the Yankees have. Of course few GM’s have been able to recover by throwing SO much money at even more players. A. Rod 33M, Jeter 16M, Tex 18M, and still only 1 top starter.
The Yankees are really only one key injury away from being out of it in August. Pettite won’t be squeezed this year if he comes back at all.
Since they lost on Carl Crawford, and Cliff Lee, it doesn’t surprise me that the Yankees would go back on their word, and sign Soriano. The details in this deal are just plain stupid.
Brandon, I guess when your top prize jilted you at the altar with an extra $150 mil in your back pocket, you can afford to make this deal. In a vacuum, it is a stupid deal, but the Yanks play outside the realm of 28 other teams.
So if the Yanks can afford it money-wise, and historically the 31st overall pick doesn’t usually yield a top prospect, and with all the issues in their rotation and bullpen, the Yanks just shortened their games by a full inning. When you think about it from a Yankee perspective, it’s not that bad at all.
X, there have been many good players obtained in the supplemental round (and even the 2nd round and later) Bard for example was one of them who does primarily what Soriano will be asked to do but at about 11M less and the Sox will be able to keep him for a total of 6 years if they want to.
T Agee, I’m only looking at it from a Yankee perspective. They can afford to make this kind of deal. If the Mets had done it, I’d be on my way to Sandy’s house to slap him in the face.
X, The Yankees have an unlimited budget and not being able to address their starting pitching this year they decided to address it from the other end.
If Soriano didn’t insist that they can’t offer arb (a distinct possibility) they could wind up exchanging the # 28 pick for a 17-30 or a high 2nd rounder AND get a supplemental one too so not a terrible situation for them but their division rival will be getting their pick (as Philly got ours) as well as a supplemental so that’s two more prospects added to an already deep farm system for the Yankees to have to deal with and TB KNOWS how to draft.
They already have 15 guys picked as one of the 20 best prospects in each of their respective leagues including 9 pitchers and now have 12 first and supplemental round picks in what is universally regarded as the best drafting class in many years.
No argument here. But if anyone can throw money around to combat all that, it’s the Yankees.
True X, but you know what? Every team, even the Yankees have their breaking point. Not only will they be paying Soriano 12 Million, they’ll be paying luxury tax on that too. That’s another 4-5 Million, plus they just gave TB 2 good chances at reloading, to a team that’s already loaded both at the ML level and the Minors and will be adding 12 more prospects to that.
This helps to ensure that the Yankees will continue to be even more dependent on the big trade (sacrificing even more prospects) and free agency (sacrificing late first round draft choices)
I’ll bet anything Cashmen is kicking himself for not upping the offer for Lee last summer. Not only would he have at least made the World Series but he certainly would have had a much MUCH better chance to retain Lee and if he didn’t would have gotten (as it turns out) Philly’s #1 and a SUP to offset the loss of this years #1.
Of course he would have lost Montero plus ?, but if Montero cannot catch then Romaine will have to in a year or two and Montero is superfleous with all the guys there who will be sharing DH for years to come.
Yeah, its awesome being a met fan. you show those players. you don’t pay no more. hooray… met fans don’t give a crap about winning or contending, as long as you show those lousy players whose the boss. i bet all you little metsie fans, as your snorting analyst, keith calls you will enjoy the cellar for the next 5 years. hooray for the mets, they are showing the players and making buddy selig proud. and i bet you all love to make fun of arod and his drug taking while your cheap org signs the only major league guy under drug suspension. you all are so fake and pathetic. you deserve your ghost park in flushing….. and by the way it ain’t even that great it in’t any nicer than the phillie park or the nat park and it won’t be nicer than the new fish park. its just like you, smnmall and pathetic. enjoy the cellar losers!!!!!!!!
How many non Mets fans does that make that have been on MMO this past week?
I’m losing count.
Over 9000.
So overpaying for crap equates winning? Talk about pathetic………
overpaying, sure. Crap? No.
anyone ever play fantasy in an auction?
there always ends up being some team that budgets so well, they have money left toward the end, when no one else does.
so, you get to buy any player you want. Problem is, there isn’t much left to buy. And with your last pick, you might as well spend $10 on a $1 player.
and while Soriano is not a $1 player, the Yankees are playing fantasy regarding their payroll, so they decided to overpay just because they had the money left, and effectivley they can’t take it with them.