Boston Red Sox: 3 Under-the-Radar Closers to Pursue Instead of Ryan Madson

I, for one, was glad to hear that the Red Sox have cooled on Francisco Cordero. He will turn 37 in May and seeks a multi-year deal. Not a great combination.

Speculation continues about Phillies closer Ryan Madson, whose stock may be in free fall after a spate of other signings have left him without a team so far for 2012.

There's no doubt he will sign; he's only 31 and performed at an All-Star level after inheriting the closer role for a 102-win team. But I strongly doubt that his deal will approach the $44 million level he was discussing with Philadelphia at the start of free agency.

Even so, given the luxury tax implications, GM Ben Cherington would be wise to pass on what would undoubtedly be an expensive, multi-year deal. He has stuck to his guns so far and avoided a high-ticket closer. If he continues down this path, the Red Sox will end up with one (or maybe two) serviceable arms to compete with Mark Melancon for closer duties.

After all, Madson was a set-up man until this year—why not take the same approach?

As I wrote a month ago: "The longer [the Red Sox] wait, the clearer the picture will be. Sure, they may lose out on an option or two, but I'll wager that any teams who sign free-agent closers in the next few weeks will overpay by acting in haste."

Another alternative would be to trade for a closer from a losing team. They are usually undervalued because there is so much less pressure being a closer on a 90-plus loss team.

Here are three options to consider.

Joakim Soria, Kansas City Royals

Last week, the Boston Red Sox reached out to the Kansas City Royals about a possible trade for the Royals' closer, Joakim Soria, according to SB Nation. Kansas City was apparently seeking more than Boston was offering in return, so the talks have apparently stalled—at least publicly.

I hope the Red Sox have not given up.

Soria is an under-the-radar, high-quality relief pitcher who has had success closing, and he could be an excellent addition to the Boston bullpen. With Soria in the fold, the Red Sox would have some real flexibility, especially if the newly-acquired arm from Houston, Mark Melancon, does not adapt well to the bright lights and pressure of the AL East.

The Royals acquired him in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft, and he made the big league club in 2007. From 2007 through 2010, he put up an aggregate ERA of 2.01 with a 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

The 6' 3", 200 lb. native of Mexico features four pitches, including a wicked curve ball, and he mixes things up instead of relying on a fastball to get batters out.

In 2010, he made the All-Star team and garnered some Cy Young and even MVP votes after a 43-save, 1.78 ERA season. He had a career-high 43 saves in 66 appearances, striking out 71 in 65 and two-thirds innings pitched. 

However, he reportedly began tinkering with new pitches in 2011 and started the year off horrendously, posting an ERA of 8.71 in May. He also had an uncharacteristic seven blown saves.

As Matt Conner of SB Nation Kansas City points out, however, he turned things around in the second half and was not scored upon for the entire month of September. He ended up with 28 saves and a 4.03 ERA.

Even with the 2011 hiccup, he has a career ERA of  2.40 with 160 saves. Conner writes, "…entering his prime, Soria is still millions below market value for the best closers on the market. Simply put, Soria is the best closer for the money on the market."

I would like to see the Red Sox make this investment in Soria rather than spending at least twice as much on Madson. 

Soria will earn $6.5 million in 2012, but that's the last of his guaranteed money. He is under team control through the end of the 2014 season (team option for $8 million for 2013 and a team option for $8.75 million in 2014). Although those numbers aren't chump change, they are quite reasonable in today's closer market.

Of interest to Boston fans, Soria has a lights-out ERA of 1.00 in eight games at Fenway in his career.

Joel Hanrahan, Pittsburgh Pirates

Hanrahan might be the most intriguing option of all. He's a big boy at 6'4", 245 lbs and a bit of a late bloomer. He's 30, was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2000, and knocked around in their system for six years until the Nationals signed him as a free agent. He came to the Pirates in the Lastings Milledge/Nyjer Morgan deal in the middle of the 2009 season.

He finally found himself in 2011, posting an outstanding 1.83 ERA (compared to his previous average, which was over 4.00).

Hanrahan would be one of those low-risk, high reward players coveted by Red Sox GM Ben Cherington. Yes, it's possible that 2011 was an aberration and that Hanrahan might not be able to stand up to the iron of the AL East.

But Hanrahan earned only $1.4 million in 2011. He is under team control for two more years; for 2012, he is second-year Arbitration Eligible. Even though his 40-save performance in 2011 will earn him a nice bump in arbitration, he would still be affordable at the $4 million number projected by MLB TradeRumors.com.

If it doesn't work out, the Red Sox would not be tied to a long-term deal.

The Pirates appear to be aggressively trying to improve their team this year, and trading Hanrahan while his value is high makes sense for the Bucs.

Tim Williams of PirateProspects.com writes: "The Pirates currently have needs at catcher, first base, and shortstop.  They have a third baseman who had a horrible season in 2011, and no one really knows what they’re going to get from the young outfielders…" 

The Red Sox match up well in all those areas except catcher. Kevin Youkilis might be part of a multi-player trade, and he would make a nice first-base option for the Pirates. Either Josh Reddick or Ryan Kalish could strengthen their outfield.

Brandon League, Seattle Mariners

I was beating the drum for Brandon League even before Jonathan Papelbon signed with the Phillies.

I also included League in a blockbuster trade proposal involving King Felix and Carl Crawford:

The Red Sox & Mariners Should Do a Deal for Felix Hernandez

What some people may forget is that League, unlike most of the other potential closers out there, has proven himself in the pressure cooker of the AL East. He pitched for Toronto from 2004 through 2009, and for his career he has great numbers against the Yankees: 2.60 ERA in 39 games. He also has a sterling 1.93 career ERA at Fenway in 14 games.

He went to the Mariners in 2009 in the Brandon Morrow trade.

The 6'2" right-hander performed well out of the Seattle bullpen in 2011, earning 37 saves with a 2.79 ERA and a stellar 4.5:1 strikeout to walk ratio.  However, as with Soria, some people think that a closer on a team buried in the cellar isn’t pitching under pressure.

Given Seattle ownership's financial problems, there is also a growing belief in the Pacific Northwest that a $5 million closer is a luxury a 65-win team can't afford.

This past week, Matthew Pouliot of NBC Sports reported that the Mariners may be coming to the same conclusion, and League's availability has been floated in the marketplace. Pouliot adds that FOXSports indicated the Dodgers were kicking the tires.

For 2012, he is fourth-year Arbitration Eligible (Super 2). He earned $2.25 million in 2011 and is projected to make $4.2 million in 2012, according to MLBTR's projected arbitration salaries.

League will be eligible for free agency after the 2012 season.

Again, these numbers make more sense to me than Ryan Madson at perhaps three times as much.