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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Chiefs Lose Another Home Game To The Raiders

One of the saddest things that has come with the demise of the Kansas City Chiefs organization is how poorly the team has played at Arrowhead Stadium, once considered one of the toughest places to play in the country. Kansas City lost to Oakland on Sunday, the Raiders’ sixth straight win over the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

The Chiefs are heading towards historically bad territory. For starters, the team has not led in regulation this season, the first time since 1940 that a team has gone this deep into the season without having a lead at any point in regulation play. The Chiefs lone win came in overtime over the lowly New Orleans Saints.

The biggest problem for the Chiefs continues to the turnovers – Kansas City committed four more on Sunday and now leads the league with 25 giveaways. Despite once again giving the ball away at will, the Chiefs had a few bright spots offensively. Matt Cassel replaced the injured Brady Quinn and had a decent outing, connecting on 20 of 30 attempts for 218 yards. Quinn looked awful before leaving the game with a head injury, suggesting that the coaching staff once again blew a personnel decision.

The biggest question mark from this game surrounds Jamaal Charles – the Chiefs top offensive weapon was given only five carries in the game, and head coach Romeo Crennel had no explanation as to why Charles wasn’t used more. Cassel ended up being the team’s leading rusher with 35 yards, and Peyton Hillis also received four carries.

There is no way to sugarcoat anything surrounding the Chiefs – this team is really bad and needs to fire its GM, head coach and his entire staff this offseason and start over. Kansas City fans can only hold onto the hope that the team’s next GM will not blow the Chiefs’ top draft pick in 2013, and that brighter days are ahead.

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Kansas City Chiefs - Oakland Raiders Preview

Throw the records out the window, because it is rivalry week in Kansas City. On Sunday, the Chiefs will host the Oakland Raiders, and kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m.

Earlier this week, Chiefs head coach Romeo Crennel announced that Brady Quinn will get the start for Kansas City. Matt Cassel has recovered from the concussion he suffered against Baltimore, but Crennel feels that starting Quinn is an “impactful move to get everyone’s attention.” Basically, Crennel is looking for anything to spark a Chiefs offense that has not played well this season. Most of that is on Cassel, who has accounted for a ridiculous 14 turnovers this season and has completed only 58% of his passes. The Chiefs will have to rely on Jamaal Charles to move the ball, although that may be a tough task against the Raiders defense, which is only allowing 102 yards per game on the ground.

Defensively, the Chiefs have been incredibly inconsistent this season. At times the unit has looked great, and other times it has made bad quarterbacks look like hall-of-famers. Kansas City’s main goal will be stopping Darren McFadden; although McFadden is having a down year, he is capable of breaking a long run at any time. The Chiefs have done a good job against McFadden in the past, and the team’s top priority should be to contain the dynamic back and force Carson Palmer to beat Kansas City through the air. Palmer has thrown for only seven touchdowns this season, and can be prone to turning the ball over.

The Raiders are statistically very similar to the Chiefs – Oakland averages 19 points per game and allows 28 points per game, and Kansas City averages 17 points per game and allows 30 points per game. Both teams rely on their running backs for big plays, and that should be the difference on Sunday. If Charles gets going early, Kansas City will have a good chance to pick up its second win this season. If the Chiefs run game is ineffective and Brady Quinn is forced to make a lot of plays, the team will likely be one step closer to a top-five draft pick.

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Austin Reed Sigg Arrested For Jessica Ridgeway Murder

Police have arrested 17-year-old Austin Reed Sigg in the murder case of 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, who was killed earlier this month in Colorado. Ridgeway disappeared on October 5 while walking to school, and her remains were found five days later in a field at a park

The death of Ridgeway has become a hot local topic due to her family in the area. Ridgeway’s father, Jeremy Bryant, as well as her other family members addressed the media today in response to Sigg’s arrest.

Sigg’s mother told police that her son had turned himself in, but it is believed that she actually called the police department. Attention has now shifted to who exactly Austin Sigg is what his motives were behind a violent killing of a young girl. Acquaintances and neighbors of Sigg described him as “goth” and a bit of a loner, often dressed in black and could be seen on a skateboard or scooter. Sigg was reportedly interested in mortuary science, but it is unknown what classes he was currently taking at Arapahoe Community College.

Sigg will also be charged with the attempted kidnapping of a 22-year-old woman in another area park, an incident where a runner fought off an individual (thought to be Sigg) who tried to put a rag soaked with chemicals over her mouth.

Hopefully Sigg’s arrest can allow Ridgeway’s family to begin to feel some closure, and let a community that has been shaken to its core begin to heal. Sigg is scheduled to appear in court today, and will most likely be charged and convicted of first-degree murder. Some has speculated that Sigg may have not acted alone; more details should surface as Sigg’s statements and testimonials are made public.

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Woman Dies From Hit-And-Run Accident In Johnson County

Johnson County has had yet another hit-and-run death, the second occurrence in the last month. Police are currently searching for a driver who failed to stop after hitting a pedestrian late on Tuesday in Overland Park.

The incident occurred around 10:40 p.m. last night near West 71st Street and Metcalf Avenue. A 35-year-old woman was hit by the driver and then rushed to the hospital by emergency crews. The woman died a short time later from injuries she sustained from the crash. The Overland Park Police Department is currently investigating the incident.

This alarming trend is a sad recent development in the Kansas City area. It is one thing to accidentally hit someone while you are driving, but only the lowest human beings on the planet would actually drive away and leave the person they have just struck to die. Accidents happen in cars, and the penalty for accidentally hitting someone while you are driving is nothing compared to a hit-and-run incident that ends up costing someone their life.

Much like the hit-and-run incident off of 1-35 that cost Christopher Randolph his life, alcohol could be a contributing factor to this situation. People drive when they shouldn’t, make a mistake that injures someone, and don’t want to face the penalty for driving drunk. Randolph’s killer was found, and odds are the person behind the wheel last night will get caught as well.

These incidents should also serve as a warning to those who travel by foot at night. With no reliable public transportation and the way the metro is set up, people unfortunately routinely choose to drive impaired, especially on weekends. All Kansas City metro residents need to be aware that when the sun goes down, the roads are dangerous. That is the sad reality of the area we live in.

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