
According to Jessica Camerato of mlb.com on Thursday, the Washington Nationals have signed starting pitcher Mike Soroka of Calgary, Alberta to a one-year deal worth $9 million. The signing might be a little surprising to some on the surface due to the fact Soroka had a record last season of zero wins and 10 losses with the Chicago White Sox.
However with the poor record, came a decent earned run average of 4.74, and an excellent opponent batting average of .189 as a reliever. The fact that Soroka is returning to the starting rotation after being so much better as a reliever than a starter in 2024 could be a little puzzling. However, Washington is hoping they get the pitcher who was a National League All-Star in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves.
In 25 games with the White Sox, Soroka pitched 79 2/3 innings. He also gave up 66 hits, 42 earned runs, 13 home runs, and 44 walks, along with 84 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.38. Soroka also had two holds.
As an All-Star in 2019, Soroka had a record of 13 wins and four losses and an earned run average of 2.68. During 29 games and 174 2/3 innings pitched, he gave up 153 hits, 52 earned runs, 14 home runs and 41 walks, to go along with 142 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.11. It should also be known that the reason why Soroka did not pitch for two years was not because of shoulder problems, but because he tore his Achilles tendon.