Royals likely to sign Joakim Soria

The Pirates haven't yet done anything significant in Nashville this week, but they're about to lose another player, as the Royals appear close to signing their own former closer Joakim Soria. Soria will receive $25 million plus bonuses over three years, plus a mutual option for a fourth season.

To be fair, Soria wasn't exactly the Pirates' to lose in the first place -- he was a free agent, and there wasn't much chance the Bucs were going to re-sign him. At 31, he isn't young, and the Pirates mostly resist significant multi-year commitments for relievers. The $25 million Soria received wasn't exorbitant, particularly on a day when a 35-year-old reliever, Ryan Madson, got $22 million after reemerging from three years lost to injury. But the Pirates usually will let other teams commit to those kinds of contracts.

Soria, of course, was one of several Bucs deadline acquisitions who performed well down the stretch. In 26.2 innings, he struck out 28, walked eight and allowed just seven runs, six earned. His stuff wasn't as dynamic as that of several other pitchers in the Pirates' bullpen, so he didn't look dominant, but he was effective. Here's wishing him the best of luck in Kansas City.