The Chicago White Sox have had a slew of questionable big leaguers and their starting potential in the Major Leagues. When you put up a 41-121 season as they did in 2024, many questions presumably follow as to what kind of talent they put out on the field any given summer day.
Starting left-hander Garrett Crochet was one of the few diamonds the White Sox had before dealing him to the Boston Red Sox for a package earlier this month. Another starting pitcher, Michael Soroka, was on the staff in 2024, but people may forget who exactly he was before joining one of the historically worst teams in baseball.
Phillies and Michael Soroka will renew acquaintances in NL East next season
Soroka reportedly signed a one-year, $9 million free-agent deal with the Washington Nationals, per MLB.com's Jessica Camerato, bringing back a familiar foe for the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Soroka was a former Atlanta Braves starting pitcher who debuted in 2018 at just 20 years old. His 2019 breakout season included a 13-4 record with a 2.68 ERA and a 171 ERA+. That earned him an All-Star selection, runner-up to the NL Rookie of the Year and sixth place in the NL Cy Young voting. He spent six years with the Braves but battled back-to-back right Achilles tears which sidelined him from 2021-2022.
Soroka was traded to Chicago in November of 2023 and stumbled between the bullpen and starting rotation. Soroka did sign as a starter with Washington, which gives the Phillies the chance to go after him once again. In four career appearances against the Phillies, Soroka is 1-1 with a 5.68 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.
The familiarity will serve the Phillies well, as they have taken care of Braves pitching in the past especially come playoff time. Per Statcast, Soroka hasn't been the same pitcher he was back in 2019 when he was primarily executing his sinker 44 percent of the time while holding batters to a .133 batting average with his changeup. In 2024 with the White Sox, he was 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 25 games.
He could be a piece for the Nationals to utilize as he was one of the most efficient pitchers coming up in the Braves organization. The Phillies know what he is capable of and need to lean into the numbers that suggest they can handle him coming back into the division.