Joakim Soria had a mediocre return to the Kansas City Royals last year. However, those 2016 statistics do not matter when it comes to 2017.
In his first stretch with the Kansas City Royals, Joakim Soria had been an All Star closer. In fact, he had been one of the better closers in the game, notching 160 saves in five seasons. Even with an ineffective 2011 season, and his eventual need for Tommy John surgery, Soria had established himself as an excellent option in the ninth inning.
After spending the next three seasons with three different teams, the Prodigal Soria returned home. He was expected to serve in the eighth inning role in 2016, taking the place of Greg Holland to allow the Royals to continue with their bullpen Cerberus. Instead, Soria imploded, posting a career worst 4.05 ERA and a 1.455 WHiP. His usually solid command was gone, as he could not locate his pitches and, when he did find the plate, left too many pitches in the middle of the strike zone.
Now that Wade Davis is in Chicago, the Royals will be expecting more out of Soria in 2017. At the very least, he will need to hold down the eighth inning for Kelvin Herrera. If Herrera struggles in the closer role, the it is likely that Soria, the Royals former closer, could find himself back in that role.
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Based on his 2016 season, it would seem unlikely that Soria would be able to be that type of reliever again. But those numbers may not reflect what Soria has to offer. In August, he posted a 2.70 ERA and held the opposition to a .241/.305/.333 batting line. Of course, Soria also struggled in September, and has been considered by Royals fans as the reason why they failed to reach the postseason for a third consecutive year.
Obviously, the Royals themselves think that 2016 was an aberration. They invested quite the impressive contract in him as a setup man, expecting that he would solidify the bullpen. Considering his solid performance in the previous two seasons when he had fully recovered from Tommy John, it is understandable why they would have thought that.
If the Royals are going to contend in 2017, they will need their bullpen to step up once again. That bullpen, which had been such a strength during their postseason runs, just was not the same last year. Soria, who is now their highest paid reliever, needs to regain that form.
The Kansas City Royals are counting on Joakim Soria for the 2017 season. They certainly need him to perform at the level he is capable of if they will continue to contend in the upcoming year.
