Matt Higgins
Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer is falling on the sword for the Michael Soroka trade. After failing to land a frontline starter before Thursday’s trade deadline, the Cubs acquired the right-hander from Washington — and now the injury-prone pitcher is already on the injured list.
In his Cubs debut Monday, Soroka lasted just two innings against Cincinnati before exiting with a shoulder strain. He allowed one run on one hit — a home run — while striking out three and walking one.
Soroka is now on the 15-day IL with no timetable for his return.
“We make bets on human beings,” Hoyer told reporters, including The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. “Sometimes they work out. I haven’t gotten the full report yet, but obviously disappointed. We did a lot of due diligence, a ton of research. If it doesn’t work, that’s on me. That’s the job.”
“We felt like it was a good bet to make … right now it’s not looking like a good bet.”
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 5, 2025
Jed Hoyer on Michael Soroka. pic.twitter.com/PMiqFWlgLT
Hoyer admitted they traded for Soroka despite his declining velocity. The pitcher also has a history of shoulder problems dating back to 2018.
“We knew the velocity was sort of trending down,” Hoyer said. “We obviously talked through that extensively. Felt like given the market, given the asking price and given all those things, we felt like it was a good bet to make. Ultimately, he came out of the game [Monday] night and right now it’s not looking like a good bet.”
Adding a frontline starter was Chicago’s top priority at the deadline, but they struck out on the big names available, including Merrill Kelly, Dylan Cease, Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcantara.
The Cubs have fallen four games behind the surging Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central but hold the top Wild Card spot. With their rotation in disarray, however, their World Series aspirations are taking a serious hit.
