The Toronto Blue Jays are looking to address their bullpen.
The Blue Jays are among a handful of teams that have been in contact with the Texas Rangers about a possible trade for veteran reliever Joakim Soria, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of Fox Sports.
Soria, 30, has a 1-3 record with 16 saves, 40 strikeouts, four walks, a 2.76 ERA, and a 0.812 WHIP in 29.1 innings this season as the closer for Texas. He would provide the Blue Jays with a much-needed right-handed arm out of the bullpen and has vast experience in late-inning situations during his seven-year career with the Rangers and Kansas City Royals.
The reliever is earning a modest $5.5 million salary this season and has a team option of $7 million for 2015.
While the Blue Jays are exploring the acquisition cost for relievers such as Soria, they are also weighing internal options, and have considered promoting top prospects Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris to help the bullpen.
Manager John Gibbons first mentioned the possibility of using Sanchez out of the bullpen earlier in the season when the right-hander was initially called up to triple-A Buffalo.
After battling command issues in 14 starts with double-A New Hampshire, Sanchez has lowered his walk rate in Buffalo. In 32.1 innings at triple-A, the 34th overall pick from the 2010 draft has posted a 0-2 record with 25 strikeouts, 17 walks, an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.515.
Norris, who is also considered a top Blue Jays pitching prospect, has pitched 17.0 innings with double-A New Hampshire since being called up from high-A ball in Dunedin. The 21-year-old has a 1-0 record with 25 strikeouts, eight walks, a 4.24 ERA, and 1.235 WHIP in double-A after impressing with Dunedin.
Entering play Friday, the Blue Jays have a 48-45 record and are three games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East. Their relievers rank 26th in MLB with a 4.27 EA entering play Friday.
