The Braves announced an agreement with right-hander Mike Soroka on a contract for the 2022 season, thus avoiding arbitration. Soroka will earn $2.8MM on the one-year deal.
The $2.8MM figure matches Soroka’s salary for 2021, which isn’t surprising since the Canadian righty didn’t pitch at all last season, and hasn’t set foot on a big league mound since August 3, 2020. Soroka tore his Achilles on a fielding play during that game, and then suffered another tear last June that cost him a chance to participate in the Braves’ World Series-winning season. It isn’t known exactly when Soroka might be able to return, though all parties are hopeful that Soroka could make it back by July.
As a Super Two player, Atlanta holds an extra year of arbitration control over Soroka, so he isn’t eligible until free agency until after the 2024 season. There wasn’t any sense that the Braves would non-tender Soroka, both because of the extended team control, and because Soroka simply looked too good in his 2019 rookie to cut loose for nothing. The righty posted a 2.68 ERA, 51.2% grounder rate, and 5.8% walk rate over 174 2/3 innings in 2019, earning a second-place finish in NL Rookie Of The Year voting and a sixth-place finish in Cy Young Award voting.
Unsurprisingly, Soroka’s arb situation was settled much more smoothly this season than last year, when Soroka gained his $2.8MM salary by winning an arbitration hearing. With Soroka’s contract now settled for 2022, the Braves still have eight remaining arbitration-eligible players.
Reinforcements coming. Remember he didn’t play a single game last year. Might be huge in the second half.
I know — if we can get anything from him, and with Kirby Yates due back in August. Would be nice to pair McHugh (multiple IP) with Soroka to stretch him out.
Braves would be wise to keep Soroka in a relief role and/or just not expect very much from him this season. One Achilles injury is bad enough. Two? He’s back to square one and a completely different pitcher than he was in his breakout 2019.
I read elsewhere that it’s a non guaranteed 2.8M.
How does that work in his situation?
Only gets paid if he makes the roster at some point in 22′?
or
Is it just completely up to the Brave’s discretion?
At this point, he needs to prove he can even get into a game.
Agreed. He hasn’t pitched in a long time. I’d consider him just pitching at all, regardless of effectiveness, as a positive step for 2022.
Then we can worry about him getting back to being effective in future seasons so he has something of a career.
I agree but he did pitch last Spring before re tearing it so he has at least made it one the mound and pitched in the last year.
Braves fans, don’t put all your eggs into this basket, he’s fallen, his eggs are scrambled, & he may not be able to get up. I saw the game he got injured & I winced, for a big guy it had to be painful. I hope he comes back, but don’t depend on that at this point. Hope for what’s fresh & in the fridge for the Braves,
He made it back from that one and tore the Achilles for the second time walking up to the clubhouse.
Thanks for the reminder Smacky, the eggs are definetly scrambled.
Dude is an ace, I know he has torn Achilles but he never threw hard to begin with
Of course he needs to prove himself all over again, but Soroka is one young man I would NEVER count out!!..
Not to mention, it was only 2mil, you will never find a higher upside player for that price..NEVER
Miss you, Mikey.
Worth 10x that
Haha. No.
Has to be able to prove he can actually stay on the field, his potential is there for sure just sucks seeing guys battling so many injuries.
It sounds like it was just the one Achilles injury that has gone horribly wrong. With all the laments about losing Freeman, the Braves won it all after losing top 5 hitter in MLB and without Soroka. If he can get past this Achilles issues, he’ll likely be their ace starter again as he was in ‘19.
You’re asking a guy to get past two Achilles injuries and 2 years without actively pitching to resume being an ace.
He’s not magically going to return to the player he was just because he’s overcome the injuries. There’s a lot of work to be done. Might as well completely erase the year of success he had and view him as a prospect that needs to prove himself all over because he’s a different player now than he was back then.
Rehabilitation is always a lot of work. I didn’t mention any magical return. But he’s performed at the highest level and pitched like an ace. So he’s not simply the equivalent of a prospect.
But judging by all your posts in the Freeman article, you have a chip on your shoulder and are looking for a heated debate revolving around opinions and little data. You’ll have to look someone else for that wasted ranting.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6154022/
Here’s my “little data”
Where’s YOUR data? Ah you don’t have any just like the Freeman debate. Just blindly naive with moon like expectations instead of dealing in reality.
And now you’re discrediting me because of a previous discussion that has nothing to do with Soroka. Bias much? Clearly. All your posts are fueled by bias so unsurprising you let the Freeman thread cloud you on a discussion involving Soroka.
Checkmate
Medical data vs he pitched like an ace in 2019 prior to any injuries
Let’s see which data wins out in your pea sized brain.
And without Marcel Ozuna who led the league in homers and won the Silver Slugger the year prior. (as did d’Arnaud, Fried, Freddie, and Acuña). Don’t forget d’Arnaud missed 102 games last year too. Also Freddie, Riley, and Albies won this year.
From that summarized article. you linked above (which was interesting),
“Patients with an Achilles tendon re-rupture had worse patient-reported outcomes but similar or superior functional results compared with patients with primary ruptures.”
I am not sure why you are so angry and trying to argue with every commenter. I did not engage you in the Freeman thread but you felt like lashing out now. But your comments on here and on that article are troubling in the insight it shows into your wellness.
Maybe It’s just a Ye impersonation?
You may notice, I am not falling upon ad hominem fallacies. I am describing your behavior. Baseball is a form of entertainment like other sports. If you’re getting this upset on a sports rumor comment board, I hope that you’re taking breaks for your own health.
You’re both way too serious. Losing Freddie has ya’ll acting out.
You mean acquiring Freddie? I’m a Dodger fan. But I also like baseball and have developed more respect for the Braves organization the last few years.. I think both Olson and Freeman will work out well for both organizations.
Absolutely not. I’m a huge Soroka fan as well, he’s got potential. But he’s facing a huge uphill battle just to be in the rotation again.
First things first.
This is one pitcher I’m not looking forward to hitting against. He has some filthy pitches.
So you mean in The Show ‘22 ?
I don’t think anyone in the league will have to hit against him this season.
He will shut down the White Sox in the World Series.
Just an expected transaction at this point but good for Mike.
Can’t wait to see him healthy again & back at the top of the rotation.
He’s got a great future career as a broadcaster once his playing days are over. Really smart kid.
He may be taking that broadcaster job a lot sooner than you think.
He’s a mentally tough kid. I wouldn’t bet against him.
He was talking to AA about how he’s actually saved milage on his arm because if the Achilles situation.
If he can get his legs under him again I don’t doubt him at all.
Now that Freeman is gone, Soroka is my favorite Brave. So frustrating with all this missed time
Anyone who has to have a favorite player on their own team is either 12 years old or is missing a chromosome. Judging by your handle, I’m going to go with the latter.
That is a first haha. WTH kind of thinking is that?!
Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time…
That’s a nice payday for someone who won’t throw a pitch for the ML team all season.