Baseball News:Rays Find Closer in Rafael Soriano
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Last season, the Tampa Bay Rays landed short of expectations. After reaching the 2008 World Series, the Rays regressed to the point that they didn’t sniff the playoffs. One big reason was the lack of a dominant closer. To fill that void, the Rays have acquired Rafael Soriano.
After signing Billy Wagner, the Atlanta Braves no longer needed Soriano at closer. The Rays jumped at the opportunity to trade for Soriano and gave the Braves Jesse Chavez. The Rays then signed Soriano to a deal worth .25 million over one season.
In 77 appearances, Soriano had an ERA of 2.97 and 27 saves in 31 opportunities. In 75.2 innings, he gave up 53 hits and struck out 102 batters. For five straight seasons, Soriano has had an ERA at 3.00 or lower.
Despite Soriano’s strong resume, this move comes with risks for the Rays. The native of the Dominican Republic has been somewhat injury prone and doesn’t have much experience as a closer outside of last season. However, if Soriano lives up to expectations and solidifies the Rays bullpen, this move could get Tampa Bay back to postseason baseball.
Rafael Soriano - Tampa Bay Rays (Image: Zuma Press)
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