Rafael Soriano to the Yankees

[nmculbreth]

I realize it isn't Reds related but I thought it was noteworthy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/news/story?id=6020119

I really like Soriano a lot but a 3 year / $35 mil contract for a setup man is pretty steep. Coupled with some of the other large contracts given to other relievers this off season, there may be someone out there willing to pick up Francisco Cordero's contract now or before the trade deadline.

[TheBigLebowski]

Waaaay too much for a setup man, but if anyone can afford it, it's the Yankees.

I find myself wondering if, perhaps, they know something about Rivera that the rest of us don't....perhaps he is retiring after the season and they wanted to grab Soriano as their closer-in-waiting?

[Girevik]

That's exactly what I was going to say. Rivera isn't getting any younger, and I think the Yanks are going ahead and getting their next closer lined up now. If they have to overpay for a setup guy for a year or two, I they can afford it.

[Hillsdale87]

Rivera just signed a 2 year deal, so Soriano would be a closer for at most 1 year under this contract. That's a ton of money for a setup man, but the Yankees have crazy money. It's funny that Reds fans are so upset (and rightly so) about paying a closer $12MM per year, but the Yankees have no problem doing that for a setup man. Jon Heyman said they still have about $20MM to spend. Crazy

[BLark = HOF]

Soriano is also allowed to opt out after his 1st year, which he probably will do then go get a closing gig somewhere. I think the fact that if somebody signed him then they were going to lose a 1st round pick hurt him.

[nmculbreth]

Soriano is also allowed to opt out after his 1st year, which he probably will do then go get a closing gig somewhere. I think the fact that if somebody signed him then they were going to lose a 1st round pick hurt him.

I think that the fact that he was a type-A player limited the number of teams that were willing to offer him a contract but clearly it didn't hurt him financially. He's going to be paid $11.67 mil a year, which makes him the third highest paid reliever in baseball. The only way opting out of this deal makes sense for Soriano is if Mariano Rivera ends up retiring after 2011 or 2012 and his agent wants to use that as leverage for a better deal.

[DocRed]

So Soriano...possible the best closer in baseball is getting "Coco Cordero" money? Really puts Coco puffs contract absurdity in perspective....