FREE AGENT PROFILE: MICHAEL SOROKA, SP/RP

Position: RP B/T: R/R
Age: 28 (8/4/1997)
2025 Traditional Stats: 3-8, 56 G, 17 GS, 1 GF,  89.2 IP, 4.52 ERA, 1.126 WHIP, 95 SO, 29 BB
2025 Advanced Stats: 91 ERA+, 25.1% K%, 7.7% BB%,4.52 xERA, 4.23 FIP, 4.21 xFIP, 0.6 bWAR, 1.1 fWAR

RUNDOWN

Over the last two seasons, Michael Soroka has been two distinctly different pitchers. One is a low-velocity starting pitcher who focuses on contact suppression with a 44.1% ground ball rate. The other is an average velocity reliever focusing on swing and miss with a 35.7% K%.

As a starter across 127 innings pitched between 2024 and 2025, Soroka put up a 5.39 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 21% K%, and 9% BB%. In just 2025, as a starting pitcher, he posted a 4.86 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 1.13 WHIP, 25.6% K%, and 7.1% BB%.

As a reliever across the last two seasons, he has a 2.34 ERA, 2.93 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 35.7% K%, and 13.2% BB%. That includes five scoreless outings in 2025.

So what does he do differently as a reliever compared to a starter? The most obvious thing is that he throws harder. In 2024, he averaged 92 MPH on his fastball as a starter and 94 MPH as a reliever. In 2025, he averaged 93.5 MPH as a starter and 95.1 MPH as a reliever. This also led to better spin and movement, which helps make those pitches more effective. His slurve’s iBV improved from -8.2 to -9.6 inches in 2025 (similar to where it was a reliever in 2024), leading to a 44.4% whiff rate in both seasons.

While his results have been the best as a reliever, there may be a middle ground where he could be at his most valuable – as a long reliever/swing man, sixth starter type. Someone who is expected to go two to three innings per outing, where he can up the velocity and movement, but throw more innings than a typical reliever. This may allow him to keep many of his reliever gains while having a larger impact.

It should also be noted that Soroka did improve as a starter from 2024 to 2025 after the Cubs changed his pitch mix. Towards the end of 2024 as a reliever, he started throwing his fastball more than his sinker, but the Cubs went even further and had him throw it 45.2% of the time compared to 32.4% across 2024. He upped his slurve usage from 5.6% to 34.6% and cut his sinker usage from 21.3% to 10%. He also completely dropped his slider in 2025, despite it being his second most-used pitch at 31%. This helped him go from a 6.39 ERA, 6.76 FI,P and 1.51 WHIP starter in 2024 to a 4.86 ERA, 4.14 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP starter in 2025.

CONTRACT

MLB Trade Rumors does not project a contract for Soroka, but Spotrac has his market value at one-year, $3.6 million. His ability to perform in both a rotation and bullpen makes him very versatile, and he should be able to beat that dollar amount on a one-year deal

RECOMMENDATION: TRY TO SIGN

Last year, the Mets needed quality innings. It may benefit them to have a long reliever in the bullpen that can take starts as needed, similar to what the Mets initially planned to do with Griffin Canning last year and what they did with Trevor Williams in 2022. Especially on a one-year contract similar to what Griffin Canning signed for the Mets last year.