CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs say they knew the risk when they traded for pitcher Mike Soroka, who saw his velocity drop over his final few starts for the Washington Nationals before the deal.
On Monday, Soroka left his first start for the Cubs because of shoulder discomfort, which landed him on the injured list. The team said Tuesday night that Soroka had a strained shoulder and would be shut down for seven to 10 days.
"We knew the velocity was trending down," Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations, said Tuesday afternoon. "We talked through that extensively. Given the market, given the asking price ... we felt like it was a good bet to make. Right now, it's not looking like a good bet."
Hoyer said the team tried to sign Soroka in the offseason because they saw potential in the veteran right-hander whose career has been hampered by injuries. He was 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA for the Nationals this season, though some of his expected stats were better than his actual ones. But a 2 mph drop on his fastball raised concerns -- enough for Soroka to go undergo an MRI before his final start as a National.
"For my peace of mind, we decided to check that box off and there was nothing that presented to be an issue at the time," Soroka said after the Cubs' 3-2 loss Monday.
The Cubs weren't willing to absorb the costs for many of the pitchers who changed teams but felt as if Soroka was worth it. They traded two prospects for him -- Triple-A outfielder Christian Franklin and 18-year-old infielder Ronny Cruz -- but neither is considered elite.
"That risk profile was known," Hoyer said of Soroka's dip in velocity before the trade. "We spent a lot of time on that. ... We did a lot of due diligence, a ton of research, and if it doesn't work out, it's on me."
The Cubs have been struggling to fill out their rotation this season after they lost left-hander Justin Steele to a season-ending elbow injury, Shota Imanaga for over a month to a hamstring ailment and right-hander Jameson Taillon to a calf issue. The latter player is working his way back to the majors, as is Javier Assad -- who hasn't pitched this season because of an oblique injury.
The team might turn to right-hander Ben Brown to fill that spot in the rotation until help arrives. He took over for Soroka on Monday.
The Cubs are hopeful Soroka won't be done for the year; he's likely to pitch out of the bullpen if he can return before the end of the regular season. In the meantime, Chicago has to live with the notion they traded two prospects for a pitcher who might only give them two innings during a pennant race.
"There's risk," manager Craig Counsell said. "So far, it didn't turn out well."