White Sox acquire Avilan, Soria, cash from Dodgers in three-team trade with KC

CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Los Angeles Dodgers have completed a three-team, five-player trade, with the White Sox acquiring left-handed pitcher Luis Avilán, right-hander Joakim Soria and cash considerations from the Dodgers in exchange for minor-league infielder Jake Peter. The Dodgers acquired Soria and left-hander Scott Alexander from Kansas City in return for infielder Erick Mejia and right-hander Trevor Oaks.
"This deal provides us with additional late-inning options as we look to solidify our bullpen," said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general manager. "Both Avilán and Soria provide us with veteran depth and enhanced flexibility moving forward."
Avilán, 28, spent the entire 2017 season with the Dodgers, going 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA (15 ER/46.0 IP), 52 strikeouts and 13 holds. He allowed just 18.2 percent (4-22) of inherited runners to score while limiting first batters to a .196 (11-61) average and left-handers to a .195 (16-82) mark.
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Avilán has gone 17-9 with a 2.97 ERA (87 ER/263.1 IP), 73 holds and 225 strikeouts in 329 career relief appearances over six major-league seasons with Atlanta (2012-15) and the Dodgers (2015-17). He has limited lefties to a .211 (97-459) career average with just six home runs allowed.
Avilán, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, ranks among the major-league relief leaders since 2012 in inherited runners scored percentage (7th, 21.3) and home runs per 9.0 IP (7th, 0.41). He has appeared in 11 career postseason games with Atlanta (2013) and the Dodgers (2015-16).
Avilán was acquired by the Dodgers from Atlanta as part of an eight-player deal on July 30, 2015. He originally was signed by the Braves as an international free agent on August 22, 2005.
Soria, 33, went 4-3 with a 3.70 ERA (23 ER/56.0 IP), 64 strikeouts and 20 holds in 59 appearances with the Royals in 2017. His 20 holds tied for 12th among American League relievers.
Soria, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, has gone 28-31 with a 2.86 ERA (182 ER/573.2 IP), 613 strikeouts and 204 saves in 573 games (all in relief) over 10 major-league seasons with Kansas City (2007-11, '16-17), Texas (2013-14), Detroit (2014-15) and Pittsburgh (2015). Among active pitchers, he is tied for sixth in saves and ranks eighth in save percentage (82.9, 204-246).
A native of Monclova, Mexico, Soria is a two-time American League All-Star (2008, '10) and represented Mexico at the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2017. He appeared in two postseason games with the Tigers in 2014 and one with Pittsburgh in 2015.
Peter, 24, batted .279 (129-463) with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, 49 RBI and 63 runs scored in 120 combined games last season between Class AA Birmingham and Class AAA Charlotte in the White Sox system. He originally was selected by the Sox in the seventh round of the 2014 draft out of Creighton University.
The White Sox 40-man roster increases to 39.