The Chicago Cubs have finally made their first move before this year’s deadline. They have acquired RHP Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals, first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. In return, they are sending Ronny Cruz and Christian Franklin to the Nationals.
Report: Nationals Trade Michael Soroka to Cubs
Cubs reportedly acquire RHP Michael Soroka from Nationals, per multiple reports including @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/T9DQlIgq2Z
— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2025
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Cruz, a shortstop, is the Cubs’ #13 prospect playing in Rookie ball this year. He is only 18 and has hit .270 this year with two home runs. Franklin is an outfielder and the Cubs’ #14 prospect. He has been solid at Triple-A this year, hitting .265 with eight home runs. While they aren’t losing too much, they will need Soroka to pitch well to make it worth it. This is most likely not the biggest move they will make when it comes to pitching. A trade for Soroka comes as a surprise in a way, as there were no reports of interest until today. Although he isn’t a top-end guy, he has solid stuff.
Soroka’s Year So Far
This year, Soroka has pitched to a 4.87 ERA in 81 1/3 IP with 87 strikeouts. While this doesn’t look good on the surface, the advanced metrics are much better. First of all, he has an xERA of 3.32, which falls into the 75th percentile while also having an xBA of .218. Both of these suggest he has gotten quite unlucky this year and is pitching better than a 4.87 ERA. With all that considered, Chicago is a great place for him to go, as he will have one of the best defenses in the league behind him. They have multiple Gold Glove winners and at least solid defense at every position. Additionally, Soroka has good-looking strikeout numbers with a 25.4 K%. He also has a great walk rate and stays away from barrels.
For the Cubs, this looks like a solid trade if they can get what they’re expecting from Soroka. It is pretty low-risk, and they could get a capable arm at the back end of their rotation. All in all, this won’t be their biggest move if things go to plan, but it is a good start.
Main Photo Credit: © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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