Brewers acquire closer Soria from White Sox
Two-time All-Star closer Joakim Soria was acquired by the Milwaukee Brewers from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday for a pair of pitching prospects, left-hander Kodi Medeiros and right-hander Wilber Perez.
As part of the trade, Chicago will send Milwaukee $1,064,516 to cover part of the $4,145,161 remaining in the guaranteed portion of Soria’s $25million, three-year contract. Soria has a $9-million salary this year, and his deal includes a $10-million mutual option for 2019 with a $1-million buyout.
The 34-year-old right-hander from Mexico was 0-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 16 saves in 40 relief chances with the rebuilding White Sox this season. He had 49 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings as opponents batted just .230. Over his last 25 outings, Soria posted a 0.74 ERA and held opponents to a .161 batting average with 32 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings.
Soria is 28-34 with a 2.84 ERA and 220 saves in 613 relief appearances and 662 strikeouts in 612 1/3 innings in 11 seasons that also has included time with Kansas City (2007-11, 2016-17), Texas (2013-14), Detroit (2014-15) and Pittsburgh (2015).
Milwaukee trailed the Chicago Cubs by 2 1/2 games entering play Thursday.
The 22-year-old Medeiros, selected by Milwaukee with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft, is 7-5 with a 3.14 ERA in 15 starts and five relief appearances this year with Biloxi of the Double-A Southern League.
Perez, 20, is 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in eight starts this season for the Dominican Summer League Brewers, striking out 47 in 40 1/3 innings.