Report: Joakim Soria, Red Sox show mutual interest
By Ricky Doyle
Joakim Soria must have left an impression on Dave Dombrowski.
The Red Sox met with Soria’s agent Tuesday night at the MLB General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., a major league source told the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman on Wednesday. Nothing appears imminent, but the sides have mutual interest, according to Silverman.
This supports a previous report from FOX Sports’ Jon Morosi, who reported Tuesday night that the Red Sox were interested in the free-agent reliever. Dombrowski traded for Soria while with the Detroit Tigers in 2014, so his reported interest as the Red Sox president of baseball operations isn’t all that surprising, especially when one considers Boston’sneed for bullpen help.
Soria posted a 2.53 ERA in 72 relief appearances spanning 67 2/3 innings split between the Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015. The right-hander has ample closing experience, too, so he’d satisfy the Red Sox’s desire to obtain a reliever capable of serving as a backup or an alternative to Koji Uehara.
Soria, who saved 24 games last season, recorded a career-high 43 saves with the Kansas City Royals in 2010, marking the second time he eclipsed the 40-save mark in a single season. The 31-year-old will enter 2016 with a 2.57 ERA and 202 saves in 444 career relief appearances.
Soria is seeking a multiyear contract — three or four years — and the opportunity to pitch for a contending team, according to Silverman.
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