The final day of the MLB Winter Meetings was fairly quiet, but both the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals made some contracts official following the signing of two relievers.
St. Louis officially announced it has agreed to a two-year contract with right-hander Jonathan Broxton, who the team acquired in a trade prior to the 2015 non-waiver deadline.
St. Louis Cardinals sign RHP Jonathan Broxton to a 2-year contract. Broxton was 3-3, 2.66 ERA in 26 G w/STL in 2015 pic.twitter.com/E69jDMs9Nx
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) December 10, 2015
Broxton, 31, came over from the Milwaukee Brewers in the deal and finished 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 26 strikeouts in 26 games (23 2/3 innings). It was a significant improvement compared to his first half of the season with Milwaukee, during which he went 1-2 with a 5.89 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 40 games (36 2/3 innings).
The Cardinals declined Broxton's $9 million team option earlier in the offseason.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting that the right-hander will make $3.75 million in each of the next two seasons.
As for the Royals, the defending World Series champions reunited with Joakim Soria, who spent his first five MLB seasons with Kansas City. The two sides agreed to a three-year, $25 million deal earlier in the week, but the team confirmed the news today.
The #Royals announce that they've signed RHP Joakim Soria to a 3-year deal with a mutual option for the 2019 season.
— Royals (@Royals) December 10, 2015
Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star says the right-hander will make $7 million in 2016, $8 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018 with a $1 million buyout on his $10 million option for the 2019 season.
Soria, 31, has bounced around the MLB ever since his return in 2013 following Tommy John surgery. He signed with the Rangers that year and was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 2014. He remained with the Tigers for a full year before he was dealt to the Pirates this past July.
He owns a 2.57 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 444 career games with his best years coming during his All-Star campaigns with the Royals in 2008 and 2010.
