The Chicago Cubs have gotten great pitching from the rotation and while a few relievers have remained consistent throughout the year there are some cracks showing in the bullpen. Closer Daniel Palencia had a rough going during August and while Ben Brown has had some solid outings as a multi-inning reliever, he's not exactly the most trusted guy either.
Craig Counsell is trying to make sure that his best bullpen arms stay relatively fresh for the postseason and he might get an unexpected boost during the final few weeks of September.
Fans were pissed off when Jed Hoyer didn't go all-in at the trade deadline for a top-line starting pitcher. The Cubs ultimately settled on Michael Soroka, who had below-average results with the Washington Nationals, but other numbers showed the right-hander was hit with some bad luck. Unfortunately, Soroka pitched a total of two innings for the Cubs before his shoulder gave out.
Soroka has been sidelined for a month, but he's on his way back and reports from his rehab indicate that Soroka is now actually throwing harder than he was all season.
It appears as though Soroka is getting close to being sent out on a rehab assignment and at this point it doesn't seem like the Cubs are all to concerned about stretching him back out to join the rotation again.
At the time of the trade the Cubs were desperate for a starter, but the emergence of Cade Horton has changed the landscape of the team's playoff rotation. It still would have been great to add another impact starter, but if the Cubs can get Soroka back for the stretch run, then the bullpen could get a difference-maker heading into October.
His overall numbers in 2024 with the White Sox looked bad as Soroka ended the year with a 4.74 ERA in 79.2 innings. However, Soroka was excellent as a reliever and he was dominant while coming out of the bullpen.
Soroka posted a 36.0 K% and had a 2.75 ERA in those 16 games as a reliever. He struggled in his first handful of games as a reliever with the White Sox, but once he got settled in Soroka was even better, recording a 1.48 ERA and his final 11 appearances with a 42.7 K% in 24.1 innings to end the 2024 season.
That's certainly an intriguing arm that Counsell will want to use out of the bullpen down the stretch this year. Of course, Soroka has to stay healthy, which hasn't exactly been a guarantee throughout his career.
