Cubs make their first deadline move, acquire a former All-Star in trade with the Nats

The Chicago Cubs have checked one of their trade deadline to-do's, bolstering the back end of the starting rotation, after acquiring veteran right-hander Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals.

The Cubs are sending their 13th and 14th-ranked organizational prospects to the Nationals in the deal, according to MLB Pipeline, in shortstop Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin. Franklin has been playing well at Triple-A Iowa this year, posting an .820 OPS in 86 games while Cruz is still in Rookie ball - and at just 18 years old, it'll be a while before we see him impact a big-league roster, although some talent evaluators love his skillset already, despite his age.

Soroka, 27, isn't going to create a ton of buzz as the team's first deadline pick-up. At a quick glance, the numbers don't exactly inspire a ton of confidence: a 4.87 ERA in 14 starts. But the Cubs think they can unlock more in the former Rookie of the Year runner-up. Why? Many of the underlying metrics suggest he's been better than his surface-level statistics indicate.

There's more to like about Michael Soroka than Cubs fans initially think

He ranks in the top quarter of the league in xBA (.218) and xERA (3.32), and has a slurve that has been nearly untouchable this season. A pure rental, Soroka isn't a long-term solution (at least not right now), but he does reinforce the back of a Cubs rotation that's been pieced together with bubble gum and duct tape all season long.

The right-hander could, in theory, be either a starter or a reliever. He thrived as a reliever for the Chicago White Sox, splitting time between the rotation and bullpen and posting a 2.75 ERA in 36 innings of work, racking up a staggering 15.0 K/9. With Soroka in the mix and both Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad nearing their respective returns, the back half of the rotation will soon feel sturdier than it has in some time.

Some may remember Soroka from early on in his big-league career as a member of the Atlanta Braves. A first-round pick of Atlanta in 2015, he burst onto the scene four years later, earning an All-Star nod, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting and runner-up to Pete Alonso in Rookie of the Year voting. That season, he led all MLB pitchers with 0.7 HR/9, working to a 2.68 ERA and 3.45 FIP in 176 2/3 innings of work.

From there, injuries quickly piled up - and he's never come anywhere close to regaining that front-of-the-rotation form. For Cubs fans already writing off the trade, it's important to understand there's little to no chance this is Hoyer's 'big' rotation addition. He's a rental meant to solidify the staff down the stretch who can hopefully tap into his intriguing stuff.

It's a fine depth move - and the cost was manageable for a team loaded with high-level outfield talent like the Cubs (and you have to take into account market factors - and the price for arms is sky-high right now). It can't be viewed on its own because it's certainly part of a larger plan. We need to wait out the next 20-something hours before we can start to evaluate it as part of that said bigger picture.