Diamondbacks’ Mike Hazen confident in Michael Soroka’s bounce-back potential

The Arizona Diamondbacks made their signing of free agent pitcher Michael Soroka official on Friday, with general manager Mike Hazen explaining Soroka offered bounce-back potential, stuff and upside.

Soroka agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million deal with a mutual option for 2027. The expectation is he will start after pitching in the Washington Nationals’ rotation and Chicago Cubs’ bullpen last season.

Hazen said the Diamondbacks remain in both the free agent and trade markets for starting pitching.

“Maybe both,” Hazen said.

When asked if there is anything close to coming together, he added, “It’s hard for me to truly be able to characterize what close means. I think we’re within a phone call or two away from getting something done,  but whether and how that comes is to be determined.”

Soroka has been an elite-level arm before, making the All-Star team as a 21-year-old in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves. Injuries took over from there, as two Achilles tears and several arm injuries have limited his output over the past six years.

He threw 89.1 innings in 2025 despite two injured list stints, the most he’s pitched since 2019, and worked a 4.52 ERA with better peripheral numbers.

As Hazen put it, the Diamondbacks need to find innings, whether that means bringing in multiple starters or giving opportunities to younger pitchers.

Leaning on Soroka given his injury history is a risk, but Hazen expressed confidence in the work Soroka has been putting in to prepare for the season, including the evolution of his arsenal.

“We spent some time we met with him, I know there’s been some things in the past from an injury standpoint that we felt like very comfortable with,” Hazen said. “He’s worked hard at building out his arsenal. He started to do that at the end of the year last year. We feel confident that that’s gonna be able to translate into success in 2026.

“More than anything else, I think the background, the stuff, the ability to go out and compete, the makeup as a starting pitcher, we felt like it was a good deal for us.”

Soroka is a pitcher Hazen said he’d tried to acquire before, so there was added familiarity there.

Anything new on Ketel Marte?

Hazen said there was nothing new to report on the Ketel Marte trade front. Teams have been calling about the All-Star second baseman with trade rumors ramping up during the winter meetings.

As for Arizona’s left-handed outfielders Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy, Hazen said there has been steady interest.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s enough focus on it right now with what’s out there from a trade conversation standpoint,” he said. “So I’m assuming at some point in time that becomes more of a focus for us and other teams.”

Diamondbacks DFA Bryce Jarvis

The Diamondbacks designated right-handed pitcher Bryce Jarvis for assignment to make room on the roster for Soroka.

The club took Jarvis with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of Duke. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and found some success as a reliever, but he’s only made one major league start.

The 27-year-old worked a 3.14 ERA in 55 appearances in 2023-24, but his 2025 campaign was not as impactful. The D-backs optioned him after two relief outings, and he stretched back out to starting in the minor leagues. Nineteen of his 31 total games pitched came in Triple-A Reno and as a starter, but even with injuries impacting the big league rotation, the Diamondbacks did not call him up to start any games. He threw 22 MLB innings with a 5.73 ERA.

The Diamondbacks need another big league starter but have a collection of young pitchers on the 40-man roster who could give the team innings this upcoming season.

That group includes Kohl Drake, Cristian Mena, Mitch Bratt and Blake Walston.

“We have a number of guys at the Triple-A level and above that probably fit into that category in terms of being able to come up and pitch for us, in that logging innings sort of protection,” Hazen said. “We feel like that floor has been raised a little bit from the growth of some of our young minor league players and the trades we made last year at the deadline. So we felt a little more confident because of that.

“Certainly that issue is something we’re still focused on.”

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