UPDATE: MLB.com's Jason Beck has announced that the Tigers have received Double-A outfielder Jacoby Jones from the Pirates in return for Soria.
ORIGINAL: The Detroit Tigers have traded Joakim Soria to the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, in hopes to continue their reboot. After already dealing starting pitcher David Price to the Toronto Blue Jays, Soria is the second Tiger of many available to be dealt.
James Schmehl of the Detroit Free Press was the first to report that the deal between the Tigers and Pirates was close. However, he was not sure who the Tigers would receive in return. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirmed the report from Schmehl about the Tigers possible deal with the Pirates.
The native of Mexico was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 2001. He has pitched in the Majors from 2007-2015 with the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Tigers.
Soria, who is due to become a free agent in 2016, owns a 2.85 ERA with 23 saves on the season. He has pitched in 43 games and has finished 35 of them. Over 41 innings, the righty has a 1.049 WHIP, but gives up 1.8 home runs per nine inning, which is a lot.
The relievers best season came in 2010 with the Royals. He owned a 1.78 ERA with 43 saves. That helped earn him his second All-Star appearances. Soria also held All-Star honors in 2008.
Soria will most likely be a set-up man because of Mark Melancon's dominance this season. The closer for the Pirates has a 1.32 ERA with 32 saves over 48 games, 40 of them finished. He has the most saves in the MLB to this date. Melancon, like Soria, is a two time All-Star.
The combination of Soria and Melancon will shutdown opposing teams and could give the Pirates the boost they need to make a postseason run.
The Pirates currently own a 3.5 game lead in the National League Wild Card. The Tigers are 3.5 games out of an American League Wild Card position.