At the tender age of twenty, Michael Soroka made his MLB debut and instantly established himself as an X-factor for the Atlanta Braves. At the time, he was one of Atlanta’s most sought-after pitching prospects. He went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019, his first big league season, to win a spot in the All-Star Game. That season, Soroka placed second in the Rookie of the Year voting and sixth in the National League Cy Young voting. Life continued after that.
Before rupturing his Achilles tendon, Soroka played in just three games during the 2020 season, which was cut short. He suffered further setbacks, including another Achilles injury, and wouldn’t take the mound again until 2023.
Following a 6.40 ERA in 32.1 innings pitched in 2023 while bouncing between Triple-A Gwinnett and Atlanta, the Braves had to make the painful decision to cut ties with Soroka. In order to obtain left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer, a five-player transaction included him.
We all expected Soroka to triumph in a Braves uniform once more and for there to be an amazing comeback narrative. But it never materialized, so Atlanta was forced to take a bet and use Soroka to add a player to strengthen their bullpen. Giving him a new start somewhere else was beneficial for everyone.
As previously noted, Soroka was transferred to the White Sox along with Riley Gowens, Braden Shewmake, Nicky Lopez, and Jared Shuster. The former Braves All-Star is finally healthy and ready to take advantage of this freshly offered chance as spring training approaches.
Soroka recently had a conversation with Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ($) in which he discussed how difficult the move was initially for him but also how the new opportunity has proven beneficial. “There are some things that I felt like I was really coming into at the end of last year,” Soroka said. Their goal is to assist me in expanding on that knowledge and gaining new insights. Thus far, the vibe in this place has been excellent.
He mentioned earlier in the conversation how initially it was an emotional event. Though he was out of choices and the Braves were in greater need of an Aaron Bummer-caliber bullpen arm, Soroka thought he could still be an effective starting pitcher. Moving to Chicago is undoubtedly a blessing in disguise for Soroka, despite the early difficulties, and I’m sure that every Braves fan will be cheering for the Canadian pitcher from a distance.
The Braves had a thrilling time with him as they reconstructed themselves into a formidable team, and many fans had a great deal of respect for Soroka as a person and as a player. That’s why there was such strong opposition to the trade of him. Many believe he will eventually turn things around, but they can also understand why trading him was the best course of action for both parties.
For many reasons, Alex Anthopoulos is an excellent general manager. He excels at identifying gifted athletes who mesh well with the team. He excels at ensuring, nevertheless, that players engaged in transactions have a chance to showcase their abilities. He truly wants to do what is best for the guys in the organization.
“I know a lot of guys hate hearing things through social media and other people,” the right-hander reiterated the attitude. That talk with him was enjoyable.
During the first two weeks of spring training, Soroka has only appeared once for Chicago, and that was in a start against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He struck out two batters in his two innings of work while giving up one earned run. There was no hard contact against him other than a single home run, which was the sole run allowed.
Soroka is aware of how challenging it is to bounce back from his injuries and succeed in the Major Leagues. He has an incredible outlook on his difficult career and is grateful for the opportunity to be a member of a squad that can be patient with him as he makes his way back to the starting lineup of an MLB team.
