TSN: Pinto: Soria deal makes sense for Royals

Soria
Soria, It’s not Mariano
Soria, It’s not Sherrill

The Kansas City Royals signed Joakim Soria last Saturday to a three-year contract extension with options that can keep him a Royal through 2014. The 24-year-old has eleven saves in eleven opportunities and a 1.04 ERA this season. The Royals are betting Soria can do the same for years to come. But is it likely?

By looking at trends among pitchers with at least 20 saves in a season since the institution of the rule in 1969 we can get a better idea as to whether the Royals made a wise investment. There is no doubt pitchers with at least 20 saves were used as closers, and it’s enough saves to eliminate part-time closers, and not so many that pitchers from low win teams are left off. So that the data better reflects finished careers, pitchers with 20 saves in either of the past two seasons (2006, 2007) were dropped.