The Blue Jays and Diamondbacks finalized a deal headlined by reliever Joakim Soria ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. In exchange for Soria, Toronto will send a pair of players to be named later back to Arizona.
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Soria, 37, has long been an impactful bullpen arm in MLB. The former international signing out of Mexico is in his 14th MLB season and continues to be effective. Through 29.1 innings of relief work this year, he has amassed a 4.30 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .270 OBA while walking just eight batters (the second-lowest mark of his career) and striking out 31. He has also picked up six saves this year; while he won’t be deployed as an everyday closer in Toronto, he should see occasional save opportunities.
Friday marked the fifth time Soria has been traded over the past seven seasons. He was a two-time All-Star with the Royals in 2008 and 2010 but doesn’t have a World Series ring yet.
This wasn’t the only move the Blue Jays made with an eye on contending this season. Toronto drastically improved its bullpen by striking deals for Trevor Richards, Adam Cimber, Brad Hand, and Soria. They also struck a deal for talented starting pitcher Jose Berrios on Friday.
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