OXON HILL, Md. _ After a day of rumors and a long night of waiting, the Royals traded closer Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Jorge Soler on Wednesday morning, making official a deal that could have lasting repercussions in 2017 and beyond.
In a deal that served as a pre-emptive strike against a coming free-agent exodus _ in addition to a cost-cutting measure for a team looking for payroll relief _ the Royals parted ways with one of their best relievers in franchise history.
Davis was a scuffling starting pitcher in Tampa Bay who turned into a bullpen cyborg in Kansas City and delivered a mesmerizing three-year stretch. In four seasons with the Royals, Davis helped the club win two American League pennants and a World Series championship. The image of him lifting his arms into the air after the final out of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series will live on as one of the iconic moments in franchise history.
No team wishes to lose the services of Davis, who is set to make $10 million this season before becoming a free agent. But here at the Winter Meetings, the Royals sensed an opportunity to acquire an asset who could help them in 2017 and beyond.
Soler, a 24-year-old from Cuba, will arrive in Kansas City in 2017 after spending parts of three seasons with Chicago. A high-ceiling talent with prodigious power potential, Soler struggled to take off in three seasons with the Cubs, battling injury and a strikeout-prone approach at the plate. He batted .258 with a .328 on-base percentage and 27 homers in 765 plate appearances across 211 games. By late 2016, he was a part-time player in a Cubs outfield that featured Dexter Fowler, Ben Zobrist and Jason Heyward.
But Soler, 6 feet 4 and 215 pounds, brings a valued pedigree and one of the most valuable assets in baseball: Time.
He is under contract for four more seasons at a combined $17.6 million, though he reportedly can opt into the arbitration system when he reaches three full years of service time, which should happen following the 2017 season.
After defecting from Cuba in 2011, Soler signed a nine-year, $30 million contract with the Cubs in 2012. At one time, the deal was viewed as one of the most club-friendly in baseball, though that stance has softened as Soler battled various issues in Chicago.
The news of a possible Davis trade was first reported by ESPN's Buster Olney on Tuesday night. The conversations between the Royals and Cubs stretched late into the night. By early Wednesday morning, the deal appeared close to academic.
With Soler in the fold, the Royals have a possible long-term answer in right field and another bat for a possible rotation at the designated hitter spot in 2017. The trade could also set up another deal.
In recent days, the Oakland A's have shown serious interest in outfielder Jarrod Dyson, who will be a free agent after 2017 and could become expendable with Soler on the roster.
The Royals have Paulo Orlando set to compete for playing time in the outfield, while center fielder Billy Burns and speedster Terrance Gore remain under club control. Burns was acquired last season from Oakland and could project as a possible replacement for Dyson _ though one with considerably lesser defensive talents. Gore could also fill in as a pinch runner in the late innings for stretches, a role he has played at parts during the last two seasons.
For Davis, though, the ending in Kansas City surely will be bittersweet. After four seasons with the Royals, he will join the reigning World Series champions and reunite with manager Joe Maddon, his skipper during his early years with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Davis, 31, came to Kansas City before the 2013 season, acquired along with James Shields in a blockbuster trade that sent Wil Myers, Mike Montgomery, Jake Odorizzi and Patrick Leonard to the Rays.
In the ensuing years, the deal would become known as the James Shields trade, a move that stoked the flames of a baseball renaissance in Kansas City. But by 2015, Shields was gone and Myers' career was struggling to ignite. And Davis had become one of the most feared relievers in the game.
In Kauffman Stadium and beyond, the deal for Shields had become the Wade Davis trade.
On Wednesday morning, Davis found himself at the center of another deal.
