The Royals just finalized their new reported three-year, $25 million contract with Joakim Soria. The deal includes a $10 million mutual option for a fourth year, with a $1 million buyout.
Soria was a closer during his first stint with the Royals from 2007-2011, but the expectation is that he’ll serve as a set-up man for Wade Davis this time around. However, there is an interesting detail in his contract:
Soria can also earn up to $4 million in incentives based on games finished and games started.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) December 10, 2015
As McCullough later clarified, these incentives would be for each year of the contract. Soria has pitched exclusively as a reliever in the majors, but he started some games in the minors. That was nearly 10 years ago, though. Perhaps nothing will come of this, as there are also incentives based on games finished in there, but that this was even included at all suggests that it’s at least a possibility. Something to file away for later, maybe.