Report: Michael Soroka declines mutual option with Diamondbacks, enters free agency

Standout starting pitcher Michael Soroka is a free agent after deciding to decline his mutual option with the Arizona Diamondbacks for $10 million, AZCentral.com’s Nick Piecoro first reported on Friday.

Mutual options are rarely picked up, considering the player typically outperforms the contract or the team opts to move on. There were 18 mutual option decisions last offseason and not a single one was picked up.

That said, Soroka and the Diamondbacks have expressed mutual interest in a reunion after the pitcher made 22 appearances with a 3.41 ERA in his first campaign with the club.

Soroka was Arizona’s second-most valuable starter by wins above replacement last season (2.2 bWAR), only trailing Eduardo Rodriguez.

Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal last winter and delivered his best season since he was an All-Star at 21 years old in 2019.

Injuries have played a big role in his career, and this past season he missed time with a glute strain and shoulder inflammation. When healthy, Soroka was excellent with a 1.09 WHIP and above-average strikeout, walk, chase and hard-hit rates. He pushed through 116 innings, his most since 2019.

“I would absolutely love to return and just kind of take care of some unfinished business,” Soroka said at the end of the regular season.

Soroka is only 29 years old, as this is potentially his opportunity to cash in. Prospective clubs will have to weigh his upside with injury history.

Spotrac calculated Soroka’s market value based on last season at four years and $20 million per season, similar to the contract Eduardo Rodriguez signed with Arizona after the 2023 World Series.

The D-backs have already committed an estimated $72 million to their rotation for next season after agreeing to lucrative free agent deals for Corbin Burnes, Merrill Kelly and Rodriguez, but there is an argument the group could use another arm given the depth needed to get through 162-game seasons.

The question is whether they will get priced out for Soroka given their needs elsewhere and the expectation that the payroll will decrease.

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