The Chicago Cubs added to their rotation before the MLB trade deadline.
On Wednesday night, Chicago landed Michael Soroka in a trade with the Washington Nationals. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal was first with the news. Soroka was in his first season in Washington and has struggled for much of the year. In 16 starts, he is 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and 87 strikeouts against 24 walks in 81 1/3 innings.
Soroka is a former All-Star, and while his numbers aren't great on the surface, his xERA is 3.32, which means he has likely gotten pretty unlucky this season. His xBA is .218, which ranks in the 84th percentile leaguewide.
The 27-year-old was named an All-Star in 2019, and was the Atlanta Braves' Opening Day starter in 2020 before disaster struck. He tore his Achilles tendon in August of the 2020 season, then was forced to undergo a second surgery on his Achilles after a setback in his recovery, and then re-tore his Achilles a few weeks later. He didn't take the mound again until 2023.
Since his multiple Achilles injuries, Soroka has struggled to regain his form. In 2024, he made 25 appearances with the Chicago White Sox and went 0-10, with a 4.74 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts against 44 walks in 79 2/3 innings.
The Cubs have had a massive hole in their rotation since Justin Steele was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the season. Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have held things down at the top of the rotation, but the team desperately needed more depth. Soroka may be able to provide that.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cubs Land Former All-Star Pitcher in Trade Deadline Deal.
