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Tigers add Joakim Soria, bolstering shaky bullpen

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Detroit Tigers had seen enough from their shaky bullpen to know something had to be done. So the AL Central leaders acquired right-hander Joakim Soria.

“Obviously, I’m excited to have Joakim on the team,” manager Brad Ausmus said Thursday before the Tigers began a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels. “Anytime you can get help of his caliber, especially at the back end of the bullpen, I don’t think there would be a manager who wouldn’t be excited about it.”

Detroit dealt pitching prospects Corey Knebel and Jake Thompson to the Texas Rangers to get the 30-year-old Soria on Wednesday night.

“We gave up a lot, guys that we valued,” Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers’ general manager said. “But it was a necessity.”

The Tigers have been working on improving their bullpen for weeks because closer Joe Nathan has been inconsistent and Joel Hanrahan apparently will not be able to pitch this year. Setup man Joba Chamberlain has been their only reliable reliever.

Soria was 1-3 with a 2.70 ERA, saving 17 games in 19 chances this year with the Rangers. He is 15-18 with a 2.51 and 177 saves in 199 chances over five years with the Kansas City Royals and two in Texas.

The Rangers signed Soria to an $8 million, two-year contract before last season as he was recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. His contract includes a $7 million club option for 2015 with a $500,000 buyout, making him even more attractive to the Tigers.

Soria sounded as if he will be happy with whatever role the Tigers give him. He is joining a franchise aiming for its first World Series championship since 1984 and leaving a last-place team that has had high hopes dashed by a slew of injuries.

“This is a good feeling,” the Mexican-born Soria said at his locker in Angel Stadium while accepting welcoming handshakes from several of his new teammates. “I’m grateful to Texas, because they picked me up when I was hurt. So I wish all the best for them. But now I’m in a different family, it’s a different feeling. I’m willing to do whatever they want me to do and do whatever it takes to help this team win as many games as we can. My goal is to win the World Series.”

Ausmus said that Nathan, a six-time All-Star, will remain as the closer with Soria starting out as the seventh-inning reliever and Chamberlain staying in his current setup role.

“I’d probably leave Joba in the eighth inning because he’s pitched so well there,” Ausmus said. “I talked to Joakim about pitching in the eighth if Joba wasn’t available, and in the ninth of Joe wasn’t available. So he was open to help any way he can. He’s pitched in all those roles before, so having someone with Joakim’s experience in the ninth if Joe can’t go is enormous.”

Ausmus is grateful for the chance to have two closers with All-Star credentials at his disposal, but insisted that Nathan is his guy right now — although he wouldn’t use him more than three days in a row.

“I never saw (Soria) as a threat as a teammate,” Nathan said. “He’s another great arm that we brought over here. He’s a gamer. He’s a winner. He wants the baseball and he just loves to compete.”

Nathan has struggled at times this season, but not enough to give Ausmus a reason to take him out of the closer role.

“Even though I’ve done quite a bit in this game, one of those things I’ve also done is pull myself out of the closer role when I don’t feel as if I’m helping the club,” Nathan said. “But right now is not one of those instances. I’m definitely throwing the ball with more consistency and getting a lot more swings and misses, which is always a good sign. But with that said, this is Brad’s decision.”

When the Tigers were considering making a move to add Soria, they asked Nathan and Ian Kinsler about him.

“Both of them were effusive in their praise of him as a player and a pitcher and as far as his makeup on the team,” Dombrowski recalled. “One of the comments was, ‘Why don’t we have him yet?’ It was a real plus for us to know we can have another quality pitcher for next year.”

To help this season, Detroit signed Hanrahan to a $1 million, one-year deal in May — a year after he had elbow surgery — to pitch out of the bullpen. Dombrowski, though, said it is “highly unlikely,” that Hanrahan will pitch this season.

“We’re not counting on him at all,” Dombrowski said.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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