The beginning of Michael Soroka's run with the Atlanta Braves showed so much promise. He rocketed through the minor leagues despite being drafted out of high school due to his rare blend of stuff, command, and poise on the mound. After being named an All-Star in 2019 and finishing second in the NL ROY race and sixth in the Cy Young voting, the future looked incredibly bright for Soroka.
Unfortunately, some shoulder issues and a pair of Achilles injuries cost Soroka more than three seasons and he wasn't the same in Atlanta once he returned. The Braves tried to be patient as he recovered, but ultimately decided to send Soroka over to the White Sox in the Aaron Bummer trade.
That was not the end of Soroka's story, however. After getting moved to the bullpen last season, Soroka excelled and helped rebuild his value. For some Braves fans, there was a glimmer of hope that a reunion with Soroka could work to bolster Atlanta's bullpen.
However, the offseason market for pitching has been so crazy that Soroka is getting tons of interest as a starter again and that speaks volumes for the challenge that the Braves and any other team that needs pitching face this offseason.
Michael Soroka, Angry Sliders...and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/i5zaZ6Ynhk
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 20, 2024
Former Braves pitcher Michael Soroka is getting a lot of interest as a starter this offseason
That a guy like Soroka with his injury history has teams lining up to see what it would take to sign him as a starter is wild, but so is the going rates for starting pitchers right now. Soroka was legitimately great out of the bullpen for Chicago and obviously he is talented, but banking one's rotation hopes on converting a guy from the bullpen is pretty risky.
However, if Luis Severino is getting over $23 million a year from the Athletics and Frankie Montas is getting $34 million guaranteed, taking that risk may be more worthwhile than paying up for the more certain rotation arms on the open market. The Braves themselves pulled the same trick last offseason when they signed Reynaldo Lopez and it worked out. Jordan Hicks is another recent example as well.
Whether or not the reasoning is sound, good for Soroka to get his career back on track and it certainly looks like he could end up doing pretty well for himself this offseason. There is certainly a fair bit of wondering what might have been given Soroka's injuries for Braves fans, but hopefully everything works out well for him when the dust settles.