Michael Soroka's 2024 was a tale of two seasons. After spending the first two months floundering in the rotation for the worst team in MLB history, the once-promising ace was moved to the bullpen, where he immediately saw success.
Now the 27-year-old is a free agent, and the Atlanta Braves, who have one more bullpen spot open than they expected when the offseason began, could add him at a bargain price.
The Atlanta Braves should bring back Michael Soroka to fill bullpen void
The beginning of Soroka's 2024 was a disaster, simply put. After being traded by the Braves during the 2023-2024 offseason, the former first-round draft pick started nine games with the White Sox, earned a 6.39 ERA, and an even worse 6.76 FIP. He struck out as many batters as he walked and allowed 10 long balls.
Had the White Sox ultimately moved on from him, it would have been justifiable, even for a team that lost 121 games. Instead, the club moved him to the bullpen, where he broke out.
In 36 innings as a reliever, he had a much more palatable 2.75 ERA, and while he still issues plenty of free passes (his BB% actually increased by 0.5%), his strikeout rate skyrocketed. Soroka was only striking out 12.4% of the batters he faced as a starter. As a reliever, he struck out 39% of batters.
Michael Soroka's 7 Ks in 3 innings. pic.twitter.com/5QYnGk2a9E
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 27, 2024
As Mike Petriello of MLB.com noted, this isn't just high; it was the second-highest rate of a reliever who faced at least 150 batters, behind only Athletics star closer Mason Miller.
Petriello also points out that the likelihood of this increased punchout rate being a fluke is slim, as pitchers with a K-rate of at least 39% had repeated success.
One huge adjustment Soroka made in-season was ditching the sinker that turned him into the ace of the 2019 Braves staff. After returning from his numerous soul-crushing injuries, the sinker was simply not effective.
Instead, Soroka opted for his 4-seamer, increasing his velocity along the way. His average fastball velocity was 92.5 as a starter, but that average increased 1.5 MPH in the bullpen.
The Braves currently have two open bullpen slots if Mark Bowman's roster projections are correct. With Iglesias closing games and Pierce Johnson/Dylan Lee handling setup duty, the club doesn't necessarily need another high-leverage reliever.
Additionally, because of his injury history (he did miss two months with a shoulder issue) and overall success in 2024, Soroka isn't likely to receive a high dollar figure. If Soroka is willing to take a one-year deal to prove his dominance as a reliever, Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves should make it happen.