‘We thought it was the right risk': Chicago Cubs' trade deadline gamble on Michael Soroka not paying off so far

Chicago Tribune

2 days ago

Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer understood the gamble the organization might be taking when they acquired right-hander Michael Soroka.
Soroka, the only starting pitcher the Cubs traded for, has a lengthy injury history and experienced a significant decrease in velocity in the last four weeks with Washington, prompting the 28-year-old to undergo an MRI before his final Nationals start June 29 'for my peace of mind.'
Soroka's first start in a Cubs uniform certainly didn't play out as the front office envisioned when he was acquired less than one week ago.
Soroka landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right shoulder strain after lasting just two innings in Monday's start. He experienced right shoulder discomfort on a second-inning fastball. A doctor was expected to assess the results from his imaging before the start of Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The Cubs recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Triple-A Iowa to take Soroka's roster spot.
This isn't Soroka's first time dealing with a shoulder issue. He spent two months on the IL last year with the White Sox for the same injury. Soroka has also dealt with right shoulder inflammation twice before: in September 2023, which required an IL stint for the final month of his season in Atlanta, and during the 2018 season, which caused him to be sidelined most of the year.
Hoyer said the Cubs knew Soroka's velocity had been trending down — going from a season-high 94.9 mph average on his four-seam fastball in his start on June 22 to as low as a 90.9 mph average on July 23 — and had talked through it extensively in the lead-up to trading two minor leaguers to the Nationals for Soroka last Wednesday.
'I haven't gotten a full report yet, but obviously disappointed,' Hoyer said Tuesday. 'We did a lot of due diligence, a ton of research, and if it doesn't work out, that's on me. That's the job.'
When factoring in the starting pitcher trade market and asking price, the Cubs felt Soroka, despite the velocity concerns, was a good bet to make.
'Clearly that risk profile was known, and we decided, given the asking price and given the fact that we felt like he was a notch above some of the other guys we were talking about in terms of talent and development opportunities, we thought it was the right risk,' Hoyer said Tuesday.
'Ultimately, he came out of the game last night, and right now it's not looking like a good bet, but ultimately that's our job. We make bets on these things and that doesn't mean he's not going to help us the rest of the year. Still waiting on the medical stuff, but we've got to adjust and then the next guy up to help us.'
Part of the calculus in trading for Soroka was knowing the Cubs likely wouldn't need him in the rotation for the rest of the season with right-handers Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad currently on rehab assignment at Triple A and nearing a return. The Cubs more broadly viewed Soroka as an 'out getter,' manager Craig Counsell's go-to description for a pitcher capable of being used in a variety of roles, including giving multiple innings out of the bullpen.
The loss of Soroka for at least the next two weeks won't alter the Cubs' plans for progressing Taillon's and Assad's readiness to come off the IL, Hoyer said. They don't want to hurry either pitcher, and two off days within the next week allow the Cubs to adjust the rotation as needed in the meantime. Assad will make at least one more Triple-A start Wednesday while Taillon gets the ball Friday for Iowa. Right-hander Ben Brown, who allowed one run over four innings in relief of Soroka during Monday's 3-2 loss, will be a possible option to start if needed.
'Those guys, we need to do the right thing by them,' Hoyer said of Taillon and Assad. 'I think sometimes we think the deadline is close to the end of the season, we have two full months to play, and we need to make sure those guys come back and are ready to go.'