With free agency set to open in just a few days, the Toronto Blue Jays are staring at a roster puzzle with more than one obvious piece missing. The front office’s biggest task will likely be finding a power bat for the outfield, but the rotation also needs help, and that opens the door to a familiar kind of fit: a Canadian arm.
One name that stands out is Michael Soroka.
The 29-year-old Calgary native is coming off the second-strongest season of his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he made 21 starts, put up a 3.41 ERA and struck out 114 batters across 116 innings. It was a season that gave him plenty of value, even in a market where the top starters will be chasing huge deals.
Soroka also turned in some underlying numbers that should catch Toronto’s attention. He posted a better WHIP last season than Blue Jays ace Dylan Cease and allowed less contact than reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, who is expected to be one of the most coveted pitchers available when Nov. 1 arrives.
His path has been anything but linear. Since Atlanta drafted him in 2015, Soroka has pitched for five organizations over seven seasons. In that span, he has a 3.76 career ERA and earned an NL All-Star selection in 2019.
For Toronto, the appeal goes beyond performance. Soroka would likely cost far less than a pitcher in Skubal’s tier, which could give the Blue Jays more room to chase another starter or finally tackle their long-running need for a left-handed bullpen arm. He also fits naturally in the middle of the rotation behind Cease and José Soriano and Trey Yesavage.
There’s also the local angle. A Calgary native in a Blue Jays uniform would give the club another Canadian name on the roster, and that only adds to the logic of the fit.
Still, the direction Toronto takes next is wide open. GM Ross Atkins said at his end-of-season press conference that every part of the team will be evaluated before free agency opens, and that his staff will spend the stretch from the end of September to Nov. 1 drilling down on every area to figure out where improvement is needed.
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