Soria, Avilan to White Sox, Alexander to Dodgers in three-team deal

[January 16, 2018]  The Chicago White Sox landed relievers Joakim Soria and Luis Avilan, and the Los Angeles Dodgers received lefty reliever Scott Alexander in a three-team deal Thursday that returned prospects and payroll savings to the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals added a pair of minor leaguers in pitcher Trevor Oaks and infielder Erick Mejia while saving $9 million of Soria's $10 million 2018 salary. The Dodgers also picked up minor league infielder Jake Peter, while the White Sox received cash considerations.

Chicago comes away with two useful pieces in a bullpen that struggled in 2017, finishing with an ERA of 4.24 (18th in MLB).

"This deal provides us with additional late-inning options as we look to solidify our bullpen," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. "Both Avilan and Soria provide us with veteran depth and enhanced flexibility moving forward."

Once one of the top closers in baseball, the 33-year-old Soria, a right-hander, is a two-time All-Star who posted a 3.70 ERA across 56 innings for the Royals in 2017, allowing 49 hits and striking out 64. Avilan, a 28-year-old left-hander, posted an ERA of 2.93 with the Dodgers, slightly better than his career average, while striking out 52 and allowing 42 hits across 46 innings.

 

Alexander, 28, joins the Dodgers after a career season in his third year in MLB, allowing 19 earned runs in 69 innings (2.48 ERA) for the Royals with 59 strikeouts.

A seventh-round pick of the Dodgers in 2014, the 24-year-old Oaks posted a 3.64 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 16 Triple-A appearances (15 starts) in 2017.

Mejia, 23, played second base, third base and shortstop for Double-A Tulsa in the Dodgers organization in 2017, slashing .289/.357/.413 with seven home runs and 25 steals in 102 games with the Drillers.

Peter, 24, slashed .279/.344/.417 with 13 home runs and 11 steals in 120 games between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte in the White Sox organization last season.

--Field Level Media

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