Is a Canadian former top pitching prospect a smart gamble for the Blue Jays?

At the top of the list of priorities for what should be a busy offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays is overhauling a bullpen that was among the worst in the majors in 2024. While the team has been linked to Tanner Scott and he’d be a natural fit, diving into the bargain bin for a beleaguered Canuck reliever with upside makes sense too. 

Mike Soroka is coming off a season that he’d like to forget, an 0-10 record, with a 4.74 ERA pitching for the hapless Chicago White Sox. Before that, the Calgary native pitched less than 50 innings from 2020-2023 due to various injuries. So, he’s not the most obvious candidate to turn around a relief corps that ranked near the bottom in several key categories last season.  However, the way the right-hander pitched after being moved to the ‘pen offers a glimpse of why he could be worthy of an educated risk.

After being hit hard in his first nine appearances as a starter for the Southsiders, the 27-year-old posted some impressive stats after being moved to a relief role. Soroka went 0-5 with a 6.39 ERA, with a .856 opponents’ OPS allowed, and a paltry 12% strikeout rate, which equaled his walk rate. Once he was relocated to the bullpen, the 2015 first-round pick was much more effective.  

Although he wasn’t credited with a win all season, Soroka saw his ERA shrink to 2.75, his K rate more than triple, to 39%, and his opponents’ OPS slashed to .589. Sure, this was in a sample size of just 36 innings pitched, and the walk rate is a bit alarming, but the hope is that the former Braves stud has reached a new level as a reliever. Also, given the shaky overall traditional numbers, signing him wouldn’t break the bank and allow the Jays to allocate resources to address other areas of need.  

Soroka’s ability to generate whiffs, specifically, is something that makes him an appealing target. His strikeout percentage was the second-highest of any relief pitcher in the majors last season, behind only A’s All-Star closer Mason Miller, and ahead of Edwin Diaz, Josh Hader, and Aroldis Chapman.

The fact that Soroka found his form eventually shouldn’t be a complete surprise. He is, after all, the same pitcher who went 13-4, with a 2.68 ERA, while finishing second in Rookie of the Year and sixth in Cy Young Award voting in 2019. The next season, he became the youngest Opening Day starter in the Braves' franchise history. Unfortunately, shortly after that start, Soroka’s health issues began to emerge which greatly affected his career trajectory.

Betting on Soroka’s relief resurgence could help turn around a bullpen that was among the worst in baseball a year ago. His relative youth suggests that starting isn’t completely out of the question and having another Canadian among the relievers (joining Jordan Romano) would give Blue Jays fans a rare treat.