2014 Season, Trades

Tigers trade for Soria

14 Comments

According to multiple outlets – Corey Knebel and Jake Thompson are headed home to Texas in exchange for Rangers’ closer, Joakim Soria.

Knebel has been underwhelming at the big league level, though he is striking out 11.4/9 in the show. The young kid from Texas (Georgetown HS – about 140 miles south of me, and fellow University of Texas alumni) did, however, put up some sick minor league numbers, posting a .855 WHIP and 11.8 K/9 over 2 years and 64 IPs.

Jake Thompson was a 2012 2nd round pick out of Rockwall-Heath HS, only about 20 miles from me. Thompson has been a starter in the minors (stats here), and is the real meat of this trade. He’s been ranked as high as second in the latest Baseball America list, and third in the BP prospect list, and BP projects him as a low 3 starter.


Jamey Newberg, who independently covers the Rangers like a hawk, wrote tonight that Knebel and Thompson are the Tigers’ #2 and #4 prospects, and the he thinks those two are more promising than the four that the Angels gave up for Huston Street.

I can’t imagine that Soria takes over the 9th right now, though Thompson is a high price to pay for a 7th inning guy. Knebel was on the big league roster, so no corresponding move is needed. I’m guessing that Soria is insurance for Nathan, and we’ll either see Nathan on the DL soon, or Soria in the 9th inning role in the near future. I just don’t think that Nathan has it anymore. I understand SL’s bad sample argument (a handful of games are muddying an otherwise average year), but 39 year old pitchers don’t lose it and then find it again. Joe Nathan, feel free to prove me wrong.

Update: DD said that Nathan is still the closer in the Soria presser.

14 thoughts on “Tigers trade for Soria”

  2. DD must feel sorry for Fleecing the Rangers on the Kinsler deal to give up two good prospects like Knebel and Thompson….but Prospects are just that…Prospects and Soria is the real deal!

  3. My limited coding skills couldn’t get both stats tables formatted, so I left in Thompson’s.

  4. Tigers had to make this deal as they are not only in “Win now” mode but rather “Win right now.” I think it’s win in 2014 or go home.

    When’s the last time DD gave up a prospect that actually amounted to something? See Jacob Turner and Cameron Maybin.

  6. Now its just a matter of getting Nathan, Coke and Krol off the roster and the bullpen will be fine.

  7. I am with you Vince ..if you look at all the teams we play they just send pitcher after pitcher after pitcher out of their pens that throw in the 90’s and get the job done. My problem with Nathan, Krol, and Coke is they suck!…relievers are a dime a dozen…you keep going thru them until you find a few that do the job…every other team has been able to do that….the problem with the Tigers is their “hope and pray ” system doesn’t work..Coke was terrible last year….GOT A RAISE and thru the hope and pray system was brought back. Benoit was excellent last year and was rewarded by getting cut!!!! Forget the $$$ angle..money means nothing in baseball. Its just something to talk about….Benoit should have never been let go.

  8. Soria is a step in the right direction

    may later regret giving up prospects, but as Kevin stated above “prospects are just…well, prospects”

    2. Credit to Jud. Though I agree.

      I don’t have a single problem with the deal.

    3. I have no problem with this deal. Since the Tigers are so poor at signing/developing prospects, I see these kind of transactions as an almost guaranteed win for us. As long as the other 29 teams are willing to fall for our “prospects” this is definitely the way to go. On the other hand, since we are so poor at recognizing true talent, DD occasionally goofs and trades an established player (e.g. Fister) in exchange for some other teams crappy “prospects”. I guess this is OK as long as we can palm these guys off for an established player later, but what happens when the other teams wise up?

      1. You know, if you think about it, we were all “prospects” for something at one point in our lives

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