For a moment on Sunday afternoon, the inherent risk of the Chicago Cubs’ trade deadline strategy was on full display. After passing on a proven closer, the team watched young flamethrower Daniel Palencia blow a ninth-inning lead against the Orioles, a direct consequence of moving on from the struggling veteran Ryan Pressly. But then in the bottom of the ninth, 40-year-old Justin Turner erased the mistake with a walk-off two-run home run, securing the win. That wild swing encapsulates the 2025 Cubs: a team with grit, but one whose quiet deadline left fans wondering if they did enough to truly dominate.
Instead of one massive, headline-grabbing splash, President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer made a series of calculated moves, acquiring four new players: right-handed pitcher Michael Soroka, versatile utilityman Willi Castro, and a pair of veteran relievers in righty Andrew Kittredge and lefty Taylor Rogers. The national reaction was lukewarm, with many analysts labeling the deadline “underwhelming” for a team with World Series aspirations.
But to judge these moves on surface-level excitement is to miss the point. This was a deadline about depth, versatility, and a fascinating reclamation project who takes center stage tonight. As the Cubs begin a crucial series against the Cincinnati Reds, all eyes will be on Soroka as he makes his team debut at Wrigley Field — a debut that represents both a second chance for a once-brilliant career and the first test of Hoyer’s quiet, calculated deadline strategy.
It’s a storybook setting for a team debut. Tonight, Michael Soroka will climb the mound at the Friendly Confines to face the Reds on his 28th birthday. To understand the intrigue, you must look past his 4.87 ERA with the Nationals this year and remember his brilliant 2019 rookie season with Atlanta, where he was an All-Star with a 2.68 ERA. That was before two devastating Achilles tendon tears cost him the better part of three seasons.
The Cubs are betting on a turnaround, pointing to underlying metrics like a 3.32 expected ERA that suggest he’s pitched better than his record shows. The move wasn’t a whim; Hoyer revealed the team tried to sign Soroka last winter, showing long-term interest in the right-hander.
While Soroka was the headline, Hoyer also added key depth pieces. Switch-hitting utilityman Willi Castro provides a versatile bench bat who excels against lefties. The bullpen was bolstered with two veteran arms: righty Andrew Kittredge and lefty Taylor Rogers who — thanks to his short stint in Milwaukee in 2022 — gives manager Craig Counsell a familiar and reliable southpaw.
For now, Soroka joins the rotation, but his role is flexible. With starters Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad expected back from injury soon, the Cubs will have a surplus of arms. This makes the Soroka acquisition even savvier, as he could shift to the bullpen, where he was dominant in a multi-inning role for the White Sox last season.
Here’s the thing, folks: Many fans were underwhelmed, questioning why the team didn’t make a blockbuster move for an ace closer. It seems the front office was unwilling to gut the farm system and part with elite prospects like Owen Caissie or Cade Horton, a disciplined approach likely shaped by the infamous 2017 trade for José Quintana, which cost the Cubs future stars Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease. Instead of one big splash, the Cubs chose to improve the margins without mortgaging their future.
With that… The ultimate verdict on this strategy, however, begins tonight. As Soroka throws his first pitch as a Cub, he starts a two-month audition that will define this deadline. If he can harness his immense talent and stay healthy, he could be the steal of the summer. If he falters, the questions about the move the Cubs didn’t make will only grow louder.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!