Underrated Angels arm should draw interest from pitching-needy teams

Among the teams that could use a pitcher of his talent, the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees are two that stand out in the crowd. 

The Cubs’ rotation has fallen into disrepair with frequent injuries to key performers. Javier Assad was recently shut down with an oblique strain during a rehab assignment and has no timetable for return. In the past week, Cubs’ ace, Shota Imanaga, suffered a hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for at least a couple weeks; but again, there is no definite timetable.

However, the most devastating blow to the Cubs' rotation is Justin Steele’s elbow injury, which will keep him on the sidelines for the remainder of the year. Given the fact Chicago has a legitimate chance at a championship this season with only one guaranteed year of Kyle Tucker, the time to act is now.

The Yankees have a slightly different situation. Their ace, Gerrit Cole, was ruled out for the season before Opening Day. Max Fried has performed brilliantly in his place and Carlos Rodon, who surrendered only two runs in his past four starts, has been a pleasant surprise. Nonetheless, the rotation itself has still suffered. 

Amid various other injuries, Marcus Stroman (currently on the IL), Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren all own ERAs above 5.50. Carlos Carrasco, who would have fallen into this category, was DFA’d on Tuesday. With Carrasco gone, New York's pitching depth, which was already shallow to begin with, has only become more of a problem. 

In this hypothetical scenario, Soriano would be a perfect fit for either team. Given the Yankees’ lack of farm depth and the Cubs’ hesitancy to add to their payroll, trade targets like Alcantara may be out of reach for both teams. 

These factors in addition to his performance make Soriano a name worth watching as we draw closer to the trade deadline.