As he explored his options this winter, Michael Soroka was struck by the Nationals’ interest in him. An interest that came not so much from what he had done in the past, but from what they believe he is still capable of doing in the future.

“It seemed like the best place to move forward, for me and for the organization,” the right-hander said Friday during an introductory Zoom call with DC reporters. “I’m excited to be a part of it. This is an organization that is moving in the right direction.

The Nats made Soroka their first major league acquisition of the offseason on Thursday, giving him a one-year deal worth $9 million to join their 2025 rotation. It’s a gamble in some ways , as he hasn’t been a full-time starter in the big leagues since 2019 with the Braves (when he finished second for Rookie of the Year and sixth for the Cy Young Award).

Soroka’s career has been on a winding path since then, with two full seasons lost to a torn (and re-torn) Achilles tendon, then a slow and sometimes ineffective return to the mound that culminated this season with a record of 0-10. , 4.74 ERA and rotation demotion to the bullpen for a historically awful White Sox team.

The Nationals, however, saw what Soroka himself felt during the final stages of a difficult season in Chicago. After serving in a long-term relief role, he found new success with some changes in both his mechanics and his use of the field. In 16 relief appearances totaling 36 innings, he produced a 2.75 ERA, a 1.222 WHIP and a whopping 60 strikeouts.

Other teams noticed as well, but the Nats specifically believed that success could now be replicated in the starting role Soroka always wanted.

“Last season went for me, I think the priority for me in this free agency was getting back an opportunity that was going to be a starting role,” said the proud Calgary native. “It’s something I’ve done my whole life. It’s something that I think was always important to me, and it’s always something that I could help a club with a lot.

During several calls with members of the Nationals front office and coaching staff, Soroka became convinced that DC was the right place to call his new home. Although he is still only 27 years old, with just 326 league innings under his belt, for now he is the senior member of a young rotation with visions of taking a big step forward in 2025.

“We all saw what the Nats did last year in the league,” he said. “A lot of young people. Many young people are looking to prove themselves. And it’s an exciting place. This is an organization that has always wanted to win. And in a difficult division, it is all the more important to have this good culture. The way they expressed it was important to me.

The Nationals are banking on the validity of these mind-blowing end-of-season numbers from Soroka. He accomplished this by ultimately incorporating some long-discussed mechanical adjustments – primarily a quicker arm swing and a more direct line to the plate – and a change in his pitch usage.

In his early years with the Braves, Soroka’s No. 1 pitch was a sinker. This season, he started throwing a four-seam fastball more often. Then he reduced the use of his changeup and increased the use of his slider, which he threw 36.5 percent of the time in 2024 while holding opposing hitters to a .168 batting average and a .317 slugging percentage and inducing a whopping 41.8 percent whiff rate. .

In the bullpen, Soroka learned to focus on the immediate task at hand, without worrying about facing the same batters a second and third time later in the game. He believes he can now translate that mindset into a starting role.

“Come out in the first inning and go,” he said. “Don’t look up. Don’t try to plan six or seven rounds. Just take them out. I think it’s really helpful moving forward.

Soroka admits he’s a different pitcher now than he was as a rookie in 2019, but he doesn’t see that in negative terms. He’s still pitching in his mid-90s. He’s learned a lot during his trials and tribulations, especially about how to stay mentally strong during two years of rehabilitation after three ankle surgeries from 2020-2022.

He’s been around for a while now, long enough to hit free agency and be able to choose where he pitches next. And yet, he is only 27 years old and his arm is relatively little worn.

Soroka sees a whole career still ahead of him, having learned from his former teammate Charlie Morton that success sometimes only comes when you’re closer to 30 than 20.

“That’s another thing that’s helped me get through this process: understanding that I have time,” he said. “But now it’s time to figure out how to give my best and show people that I’m here again as a starter.”