The Chicago Cubs are adding some starting pitching depth.

Right-hander Michael Soroka is headed to Chicago in a trade with the Washington Nationals, the Cubs announced Wednesday night.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported the move.

The Cubs are sending two prospects — outfielder Christian Franklin and infielder Ronny Cruz — to Washington in return for Soroka.

The #Cubs today acquired RHP Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals for minor-league OF Christian Franklin and minor-league INF Ronny Cruz.

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 31, 2025

Soroka, 27, is in his first season with the Nationals and is a free agent at the end of the year. He is 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA in 16 starts so far this season, but his underlying numbers show a better pitcher. He has a solid 1.13 WHIP and has racked up more than a strikeout an inning — 87 Ks in 81.1 innings.

As a result, Soroka’s expected ERA is far better, sitting at 3.32. With the Cubs’ stellar defense, he could be a strong under-the-radar acquisition. He won’t turn 28 until next month, so the Cubs are acquiring a pitcher in the midst of his prime.

[MORE: What does starting pitching market look like ahead of MLB trade deadline?]

Soroka spent the 2024 season on the South Side, going 0-10 with a 4.74 ERA in 25 appearances (nine starts) for the White Sox. He spent his previous seasons in the majors with the Atlanta Braves, starting in 2018.

It was during that time when Soroka experienced some physical setbacks. He was limited to just three games in 2020 and did not pitch in the majors in 2021 or 2022 because of horrible injury luck. He tore his Achilles in August 2020 and then tore the same Achilles again in June 2021 as he was attempting a comeback.

Soroka was an All-Star as a 21-year-old in 2019, going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.11 WHIP for the Braves. He racked up 6.0 WAR across 29 starts and struck out 142 batters in 174.2 innings.

He carries a strong pedigree as a 2015 first-round draft pick (28th overall) and a former top prospect. He was ranked as high as the 24th best-prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline heading into the 2019 season.

Franklin ranked as the Cubs’ No. 14 prospect on Lance Brozdowski’s preseason list in the spring. Cruz came in at No. 17. On MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 Cubs prospects list, Cruz sat 13th and Franklin ranked 14th.

Franklin, 25, was a Cubs fourth-round pick in 2021. He reached Triple-A for the first time this year and is hitting .265/.393/.427 (.820 OPS) with eight homers and 11 stolen bases.

The Cubs picked Cruz in the third round of last summer’s draft out of Miami Christian High School. The infielder turns 19 in August, and has a .745 OPS in 48 games in rookie ball.

It’s a decent price to pay for a rental player with subpar numbers, but the Cubs clearly believe there’s some upside with Soroka. He likely will immediately slot into Chicago’s rotation, but his experience as a reliever gives the Cubs options when Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad return from injury in the coming weeks.

The Cubs needed to add more pitching depth this week, though, and likely will continue to target arms before Thursday’s 5 p.m. CT deadline.