Former White Sox pitcher Michael Soroka is taking his talents to Washington D.C. Soroka signed a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals worth $9 million, according to MLB insider Robert Murray.
It’s a surprising payday for a pitcher who posted a 4.74 ERA last season. Soroka joined the White Sox as part of a five-player swap for Aaron Bummer. After missing the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Soroka appeared in just seven games for the Braves in 2023 before getting traded in the offseason. It was apparent early in the season that rust was still a factor.
The former All-Star earned a spot in the White Sox rotation but was moved to the bullpen after posting a 6.39 ERA in nine starts. Opponents hit .252 with a .856 OPS off of Soroka when he was given the ball to start the game. He also struggled to draw swings and misses.
However, things began to click after he was bumped from the rotation. Soroka owned a 2.75 ERA as a reliever and limited opponents to a .189 batting average. His strikeouts per nine innings also jumped from 4.9 to 15 and his 24.2 percent strikeout rate was the highest of his career.
Part of his appeal to teams was his ability to limit hard contact. Opponents 35.2 hard-hit percentage and 87.6 mph average exit velocity placed Soroka among the game's best pitchers. But walks ended up hurting the 27-year-old. His 12.4 percent walk rate ranked amongst the bottom four percent of qualified MLB pitchers.
Soroka is now the latest player from the Aaron Bummer trade to leave the White Sox after Nicky Lopez was non-tendered earlier in the offseason.
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