Top Landing Spots for Free Agent Michael Soroka

2026 was a major bounce-back year for Michael Soroka. After injuries had frequently plagued his career, including two right Achilles tendon tears, Soroka put together a full, healthier season in 2026. For the first time since his incredible rookie campaign in 2019, Soroka threw over 100 innings, a major milestone for the 29-year-old.

Soroka put up a solid season, going 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA and striking out 114, posting a 2.7 fWAR. His 2.7 fWAR was second among all Arizona Diamondbacks pitchers, behind Eduardo Rodriguez’s 3.2. It makes it even more impressive when you consider that Rodriguez finished seventh in NL Cy Young voting.

The major change Soroka made for the past season was adjusting his average arm angle. From 2023 to 2025, Soroka dropped his arm angle 4° each year, from 41° down to 33°. In 2026, he dropped it more than ever, lowering it by 7° to 26°. It seemingly gave him more command than ever, as he had a career-low walk rate of 6.1%.

He also had batters chasing more than ever at 34.1%. His addition of a cutter to his arsenal could also be a reason for this increase, as he used it to set up his extremely effective slurve and sinker.

Free Agent Profile: Michael Soroka

• Age in 2027: 30
• 2027 Stats: 22 G (21 GS), 3.41 ERA, 3.19 FIP, 116 IP, 2.7 fWAR
• 2026 Salary: $7.5 million
• Qualifying Offer Eligible: No

Contract Projection

• Contract Length Expectation: 2-4 years
• Expected AAV: $15-21 million

Soroka would be a welcome addition to the middle or back of plenty of teams’ rotations. While his injury history could turn some suitors away, his turn in health and improved performance will play in his favor.

Free Agent Landing Spots for Michael Soroka

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays are known for their pitching lab. It wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if they ended up signing Soroka and turned him into a Cy Young-caliber pitcher.

Signing Soroka can fit for the Rays logically as well. Free agents Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez are likely leaving. It’s rumored that the front office might be open to moving Shane McClanahan and Ryan Pepiot as well, which will require the Rays to fill their rotation back up.

Soroka isn’t going to be looking for the same amount of money as the top pitchers on the market, and Tampa is unlikely to go after those top free agents anyway. Finding a lower-tier pitcher on the market, giving him a reasonable deal, and then retooling him into a better version of himself is a plausible option for the Rays and Soroka.

Boston Red Sox

With Sonny Gray likely not going back to the Boston Red Sox, they’ll need to find another quality arm, or arms, to fill the void Gray will be leaving behind.

While they could look in-house for this, with Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Johan Oviedo, injuries and inconsistent play might turn them away. Adding back Garrett Crochet will be a big bump to the rotation, but it’ll still leave them lefty-heavy.

Boston is also reportedly taking a more “cautious” and “opportunistic” approach this offseason, meaning the likelihood of going after one of the top free agents on the market is close to zero. Soroka will fit this build of a lower-end arm that Boston can rely on for the back of their rotation and to split up the lefties.

The Red Sox have been building up a top-of-the-league pitching staff as of late, ranking in the top five for team ERA the past two seasons. Pitching coach Andrew Bailey and the rest of the staff have a lot to do with this success, as plenty of arms for Boston needed to be retooled and heavily improved. Soroka can be that veteran righty that Boston needs.

Cleveland Guardians

The Cleveland Guardians were one of the top pitching staffs in MLB in 2026. They also only had eight pitchers start games for them, and were the only team with four pitchers to make 30 starts. While a key part of their identity has often been elite starting pitching, they’ll need to add more depth to the rotation to put less strain on their top arms.

According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, targeting starting pitching is something the Guardians will prioritize this offseason. They’re also expected to raise their payroll, so targeting a middle-tier free agent will be most likely. Soroka won’t cost them an arm and a leg and would provide much-needed innings for their rotation.

Soroka would be an excellent option behind the solid trio of Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, and Tanner Bibee. If he were to replicate or even slightly improve upon his 2026 season, Cleveland would easily have one of the top rotations in MLB.

Atlanta Braves

Could a reunion be in the cards for Soroka and the Atlanta Braves? It definitely can’t be ruled out. The Braves’ lack of starting pitching depth held them back from a deeper postseason run in 2026. To capitalize on this window, they’ll have to find more dependable arms to back an aging Chris Sale.

Soroka was drafted and developed within Atlanta’s system and spent his first eight seasons with the organization. It’s where he broke out in 2019, earning an All-Star selection and finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting as a rookie.

He fits the contract profile the Braves would be looking for. A short two-year deal, potentially with an opt-out, at a mid-tier price point. If Soroka can stay healthy for 2027, he can use it as a prove-it contract to seek a lengthy and more lucrative deal for 2028.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Like Atlanta, this is another reunion Soroka could seek. Both parties are reportedly interested in a reunion, but what could hold Arizona back is Soroka’s price tag. They’ll likely be outbid for Soroka’s services in 2027 and beyond, but if Soroka really wanted to stay, him taking a pay cut isn’t impossible.

Soroka appears to have enjoyed his time in Arizona.

“I picked this place for a reason… Everybody here, from the players, the staff, the sports staff is a lot of good people. So I would absolutely love to return and just kind of take care of some unfinished business,” said Soroka.

In a rotation of unreliable arms like Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Ryne Nelson, Soroka provided stability for the 2026 Diamondbacks. While they will be retaining some of those arms for 2027, not knowing what they bring can be a concern for Arizona’s playoff hopes.

Gallen has declined significantly over the past two seasons and isn’t expected to re-sign with the team. Corbin Burnes has only started 14 games in his first two years with the club on his big contract. With all of this inconsistency and uncertainty, Soroka going back to the team that helped him turn his career around, even on a pay cut, could make sense.