Royals Decline Option On Joakim Soria

The Royals announced today that they have chosen not to exercise their $8 million option on closer Joakim Soria for the 2013 season, triggering a $750,000 buyout. Soria is now a free agent.

Both Soria and the Royals seemed optimistic that a deal would be reached in the past. Soria is only 28, however the right-handed closer missed all of the 2012 season after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April. This was the second time in Soria’s career that he has been forced to undergo the procedure. Soria is already rehabbing his repaired elbow and has been throwing two to three times a week.

Despite declining Soria’s option, it is possible that Kansas City could still work out a deal to keep Soria. It has been reported that the Royals planned on declining the option while negotiating an incentive-laden contract with Soria.

Kansas City now faces a difficult decision in whether or not to keep Soria. He is coming off a severe injury, and the closer’s numbers declined in 2011 after his stellar 2010 season. However, Soria is a fan-favorite, and the market for closers is very weak this offseason. If the team wants to have a quality closer, there aren’t many better options out there than Soria. Another possible outcome is that the team may find Soria to be too pricey and choose to spend money on a starting pitcher or another bat. If the Royals went this route, they’d have to sign a cheap bullpen player to be the closer, or use someone currently on the team. It comes down to how much the Royals willing to spend.

Soria has 160 saves and a 2.40 ERA in his Royals career, and was named an All-Star in the 2008 and 2010 seasons.

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Royals Trade Jonathan Broxton To The Reds For Two Minor League Players

The Royals made a move to improve their future yesterday, trading closer Jonathan Broxton to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for minor league pitchers J.C. Sulbaran and Donnie Joseph. Greg Holland is expected to fill Broxton’s role as closer for the Royals for the remainder of the regular season.

Sulbaran, a 22-year-old right-hander, was the Reds 30th round draft pick in 2008. The Plantation, FL native is 25-24 with a 4.68 ERA in the minor leagues. While these numbers won’t wow Royals fans, he does have 449 strikeouts in 413 professional innings. Also interesting to note is that Sulbaran was a high school teammate of Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer. Joseph, a 24-year-old left, was the Red’s third round pick in the 2009 draft. He is 16-14 with a 3.50 ERA in four minor league seasons, and has converted 54 saves.

Broxton has pitched well for the Royals this season, but will be somewhat expendable next season with the return of former All Star Joakim Soria. Broxton will likely be used as a set-up man for closer Aroldis Chapman, similar to the role he was original slated to do in Kansas City. Reds manager Dusty Baker may use Broxton for save situations when Chapman could use some rest. Broxton gets to go from a team that is 41-60 and in last place to the Reds, who have the second-best record in the majors and currently sit in first place.

For the Royals, this move makes sense. The team will not have much of a need for Broxton after the season, and he would be expensive to resign as a free agent after pitching at an All Star level for much of the 2012 season. The team did what it could to replace Broxton with two young arms, and hopefully either Sulbaran or Joseph develops into a capable major league pitcher. Kansas City didn’t have many options, so stocking up with two young players for the future seems like a steal, given the situation.

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What Will The Royals Do At The 2012 MLB Trade Deadline?

The 2012 MLB trade deadline is only hours away, and some talk has been heating up regarding Kansas City making a deal. Now that the team is almost 20 games under .500 and is officially heading towards another horrendous final record, it is time for Kansas City to consider its future and shed some dead weight.

Perhaps the player that has gotten the most trade consideration lately is closer Jonathan Broxton, who has resurrected his career this year with 22 saves and a 2.34 ERA. Broxton’s numbers were good enough to merit All Star consideration, and teams in the playoff hunt or missing a closer may take a flyer on the right-hander. The Yankees, Angels, Giants and Rangers have all expressed interest. With Joakim Soria returning next year and the Royals out of contention, there really is no need to hang on to Broxton, as good as he has been. Hopefully the team can get some young arms in return, as Broxton has demonstrated strong value all season long.

Kansas City also has two veteran hitters that have become some dead weight to the organization in Jeff Francoeur and Yuniesky Betancourt. After putting together a solid season at the plate last year, Francoeur has struggled this season, batting only .247 with eight home runs. He is a good option defensively, and is a leader in the club house, so Kansas City may be able to find looking for a veteran presence. Betancourt has similar numbers to Francoeur – a .245 average and seven home runs – although he is a bit of a liability defensively.

The final player mentioned in trade rumors is pitcher Jose Mijares, who despite some recent struggles has had a pretty good season. Mijares has posted a 1.72 ERA in 46 appearances, and could be attractive for a team looking for some bullpen help.

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Paulino Leads Royals to Win Over White Sox

Despite failing to pick up a victory, Felipe Paulino has been the best pitcher in Kansas City since the Royals stole him from the Rockies. Paulino finally earned a win last night, once again pitching well in a 5-3 victory over Chicago.

Paulino had a strong game, striking out nine batters over six innings. The win was his first since June 4, 2010, which seems shocking given how well he has pitched in Kansas City. The Royals aquired him for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment by Colorado - a move that is now looking like one of the biggest steals of the season. Paulino has brought consistency to a starting rotation that desperately needed it, and the Royals management deserves credit for finding a diamond in the rough.

Kansas City's bullpen pitched well after Paulino left the game, as Louis Coleman and Joakim Soria both kept the White Sox scoreless over the final three innings. Coleman has been very consistent this season, while Soria seems to be working his way back into all-star form.

Bruce Chen (4-2) will start for Kansas City this afternoon when the Royals face Chicago in a rubber match. The game will start at 1:10 p.m., and Edwin Jackson (5-6) will get the start for the White Sox.

Royals Win Game One of the 1-70 Series

The Royals held on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 in the first game of the annually-hyped 1-70 series. Alcides Escobar continued to stay hot at the plate, contributing two hits and a run for Kansas City. Escobar is now 14 of 24 from the plate over the past seven games, with eight runs scored.

Escobar was also involved in the game's deciding play during the eighth inning. Escobar hit a hard ground ball towards gold-glove first baseman Albert Pujols, however Pujols was unable to make the stop. Mike Moustakas scored the go-ahead run, and Pujols was charged with an error. Pujols had a chance to get revenge on the Royals in the ninth, as he faced closer Joakim Soria with the tying run on first. However, Soria was able to get the out, and Kansas City stole game one of the series.

Kansas City raced out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to RBI hits from Jeff Francoeur and Alex Gordon, only to watch St. Louis roar back and take a 4-3 lead in the third. Game two of the series starts tonight at 6:15 p.m., and Vin Mazzaro will get the start for the Royals.

Royals Swept by Twins

Kansas City earned a rare sweep of Minnesota earlier in the year, and the Twins returned the favor over the weekend. Kansas City couldn't get anything going against Minnesota's Brian Duensing this afternoon, and fell 6-0.

There weren't many positives that emerged from the disastrous weekend, but the Royals have to be encouraged by the sudden improvement by Joakim Soria. Soria has now had two impressive outings since losing his closer role, and he may be promoted back to that spot now that he appears to be pitching at an all-star level once again. The Royals were right to take Soria out of the closer spot, as he quickly went from one of the game's best to a disaster in a terrible two week stretch. Luckily, Soria has responded, and he should find himself closing Kansas City's games again soon.

The loss dropped Kansas City to 25-34 overall and nine games back of Cleveland in the AL Central. The Royals begin another home series Monday night against Toronto, and Felipe Paulino will get the start. Paulino has yet to give up an earned run as a Royal.

Royals Pitching Continues to Struggle

Just one night after blowing a ninth inning lead, the Royals established early on that they had no chance in this one. The Orioles scored eight runs in the fourth inning, and went on to humiliate Kansas City 9-2. The pitching meltdown in this game came courtesy of Luke Hochevar, who dropped to 3-5 on the year.

While Hochevar, the team's number one starter, was getting lit up like the fourth of July, former Royal Zack Grienke pitched lights out in Milwaukee. Grienke struck out 10 batters in his seven innings of work, while also blasting a home run. Looks like the former Cy Young winner is joining a long list of former Royals that went on to do great things once they left Kansas City.

Kansas City's offense has been fairly good this season, but the only way the Royals were going to compete this year was if the pitching could hold up. Not only have the starters struggled, but former All-Star closer Joakim Soria has been a disaster recently. At least Royals fans can remain optimistic that Soria will return to form and get back to being one of the best pitchers in the AL. Hochevar, a former number one overall pick, has never lived up to his draft status, and is once again turning in a crappy season for KC. It is hard to watch the Royals' former top pick get shelled while Grienke enjoys success in Milwaukee.

Royals Fall to Orioles

Kansas City fell to Baltimore 5-3 last night, and has now lost 8 of its last 10 games. Royals closer Joakim Soria continued to struggle and gave up a two run walkoff homerun to Adam Jones.

Kansas City appeared to be in position to win the game, entering the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead. However, Soria quickly gave up two doubles which allowed Baltimore to tie the game. He then delivered a fastball that Jones, who hadn't hit a homer in over a month, blasted into the bleachers to send Kansas City on its way to another late inning loss.

Soria's meltdown wasted a solid effort from rookie pitcher Danny Duffy, who was in position to pick up his first major league win before Baltimore's late game heroics. Duffy gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, and has looked good in his first two starts as a Royal. Duffy's emergence could be a big boost for a pitching staff that is struggling, and the fact that he is only 22 years old has to have Kansas City fans excited about the future.

Alex Gordon homered for the second time in two games, and Billy Butler hit an RBI single to give Kansas City its 3-0 lead. The Royals play again tonight at 6:05.

Royals Lose In Third Straight Extra Inning Game

The Royals continue to give fans their money's worth, as nine innings once again was not enough to decide a winner. After winning their first two extended games, the Royals couldn't keep the magic going, falling to the White Sox 10-7.

Joakim Sora, one of the best closers in the league, was to blame for this one. Soria had the White Sox on the ropes - a three run lead with two outs in the ninth - and somehow surrendered four runs and the lead. Soria is one of the best closers in baseball, and this is likely just a rare slip-up from the all-star. When you have a great chance to move to 5-1 on the season and choke like Kansas City did last night, it could be a turning point.

If the Royals begin to lose games and fall apart, this will likely be the game many point at. The Royals' offense has continued to produce, so fans should remain optimistic about the team's chances.

Royals Take White Sox Series in Thrilling Fashion

Winning games these days sure has become hard for the Royals, and this weekend's series against the Chicago White Sox certainly proved this. The Royals and White Sox games all went to extra innings, with the Royals taking two out of three to win the series and finish its recent ten-game home stand at a respectable 6-4.

Yuniesky Betancourt was the hero in game one, belting a game-tying grand slam and later winning the game with a walk-off single. Betancourt, who has been critized all season for his poor play at short-stop and his generous contract, stepped up to give the Royals a win when some had already started heading for the exits. Jason Kendell was the hero in game three, hitting a game winning single into the outfield gap to drive home Gregor Blanco in the 10th inning. The series as a whole provided close, competitive baseball, with an added bonus due to the White Sox being locked in a heated division race with the Minnesota Twins.

While the results were positive, there are still some glaring concerns with this team, most notibly the younger players. Blanco has been solid, however Kila Ka'aihue continues to swing hard at absolutely anything, and other young players are struggling as well. The good news for the Royals is Zach Grienke appears to be back on track and Joakim Soria is consistently dominant at closer.

The Royals have some pieces to build with, and appear to be putting together a solid pitching corps and bullpen. However, the offense has to get better, which includes the younger players that are getting action to close out the year. Betancourt saving the team with a grand slam makes for a good story, but it would be nice if the team could win some games without the heroics. But where would the fun in that be?

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Soria Records 25th Straight Save

As the Royals' dreadful season nears the finish line, one player has stood out all year as a bright spot for the team. Closer Joakim Soria converted his 25th straight save, breaking the old consecutive saves record for the Royals previously set by Jeff Montgomery in 1993. For the season, Soria has converted 32 of 34 chances.

After pitching a no-decision gem last week, Zach Grienke made it clear he was not willing to sit around and wait for the Royals to undertake another rebuilding project. While it is hard to blame Grienke's stance, it will be interesting to see what the off-season brings for Soria. The Royals have traded many of its productive veterans to build for the future, however Soria is still young and could provide a long-term answer at closer or eventually be moved to a starting position.

Given that Soria has not publicly demanded a trade or let his frustrations with the organization known, the Royals should attempt to lock him up for the long haul. Having a dominant closer is a necessity for any competitor, and Soria is one of the best in the game. While the Royals keep rebuilding, at least Kansas City fans can enjoy watching Soria dominate.

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Royals Winning Ways Puts Team in an Interesting Position

In case the circus following Lebron James’ free agency or the World Cup distracted you, you may have noticed that the Royals have slowly crawled out of mediocrity to put together a solid 2010 season. Despite the signs of improvement, the organization is now faced with an interesting decision: continue to push for a playoff spot or start to give younger prospects a chance to gain valuable experience and plan for the future.

The Royals are 27-23 since Ned Yost took over and has won 10 of its last 13. The club is talking playoffs, and in the weak AL Central that notion may not be too far fetched. Reigning Cy Young winner Zack Grienke appears to have found his other-worldly form, the team has an all-star closer in Joakim Soria, and the batters have an excellent .283 average overall.

Despite all the success, the Royals need to realistically assess how good their team really is and its chances to snag the division title and earn a playoff spot. Much of the team’s success can be attributed to strong seasons from veteran players such as Jose Guillen and Scott Podsednik, who are not getting any younger.

The Royals will have to keep a realistic approach in the next several weeks about where they stand in the division. Billy Butler and Grienke, the team’s best hitter and pitcher, benefited immensely from playing time at a young age, and top prospects like Kila Ka’aihue could do the same and help the club build a building block for the future. It will be interesting to see what the club does in the next month or two, but the new position the Royals find themselves in shows the team may slowly be crawling out of the cellar.