Nationals Trade Michael Soroka To Cubs In Late-Night Move

Things are picking up around Major League Baseball when it comes to the trade deadline, and the Washington Nationals have found themselves in the thick of things.

In a late-night deal on Wednesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report that Michael Soroka was traded to the Chicago Cubs. Jesse Rogers of ESPN later reported that Triple-A outfielder Christian Franklin and 18 year-old infielder Ronny Cruz were the return for the Nationals.

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Washington signed Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal this past offseason. They brought him in to be a starting pitcher despite the fact he was moved to the bullpen last year by the Chicago White Sox.

Soroka has a 4.68 ERA across his 16 starts with the Nationals, an outings total that was reduced because he suffered a right biceps strain in early-April that kept him on the shelf until May 7.

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While his numbers don't look great on the surface, the right-hander's expected ERA is 3.32, which signals there could be some bad luck involved this season.

Washington took a chance on the oft-injured former 28th overall pick of the 2015 draft, and they have been rewarded for that by getting the Cubs' 13th- and 14th-ranked prospects.

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Franklin doesn't have a ton of pop in his game, but he's slashed .265/.393/.427 with eight homers and 41 RBI across 81 Triple-A games this season. He now gives the Nationals even more depth in the outfield as they search for who they can pair with James Wood and Dylan Crews going forward.

Cruz is a long-term play with tools to be a power-hitting infielder who also possesses a big arm.

Flipping Soroka, who is a rental, for this package is a major win for Washington.

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