The Cubs have recently bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring starter Michael Soroka from the Nationals. This move occurred just before the MLB trade deadline, with confirmation from John Heyman.
Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic was the first to report on this transaction.
Now 28, Soroka, a former All-Star, has been a sought-after player at the trade deadline, despite not having the best season in 2025. However, his potential as a backend starter for Chicago could prove beneficial.
This season, Soroka has a 4.87 ERA across 16 starts, yet his advanced metrics paint a more optimistic picture. His expected ERA, which accounts for the quality of contact allowed, ranks in the 75th percentile. Additionally, the expected batting average against him sits in the 84th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
His rates for strikeouts, walks, and barrels also exceed the 69th percentile, which is encouraging.
Soroka’s career has been marred by injuries, including two Achilles tears and a forearm issue. It seems he’s finally found some stability on the mound. His previous season with the White Sox left him with a 4.74 ERA and an 0-10 record over nine starts, across 25 games.
Before these setbacks, Soroka had a promising start to his career in Atlanta, earning an All-Star selection in his second year and ranking among the top six in the Cy Young voting with a 2.68 ERA.
In exchange for Soroka, the Cubs traded infielder Ronnie Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin, who were both ranked 13th and 14th in the Nationals’ farm system at the time of the deal.
The 18-year-old Cruz, taken in the third round of the 2024 draft, primarily plays shortstop and posted a .270 average with a .745 OPS in nearly 200 plate appearances in rookie ball.
Franklin, a fourth-round pick from Arkansas in 2021, has recorded a .265 average with an .820 OPS over 321 at-bats this season in Triple-A.
