Jed Hoyer doubled down on Michael Soroka trade logic (and it’s embarrassing)

Jed Hoyer does deserve some credit because he had enough self-awareness to realize that he had to meet with reporters on Tuesday before the Chicago Cubs' game against the Cincinnati Reds. Before the game, the Cubs placed starting pitcher Michael Soroka, their biggest addition at the MLB trade, on the 15-day IL with shoulder discomfort. Hoyer revealed that the Cubs are still waiting for the MRI results to determine a potential timeline, but the overall sense is that Soroka won't be back once the initial 15 days of the IL stint are up.

In his defense of the decision to trade for Soroka, Hoyer stressed that it was a "good bet".

“Given the market, given the asking price…we felt it was a good bet to make…Right now, it’s not looking like a good bet…Doesn’t mean he won’t help us the rest of the year. Waiting on medical stuff.”

Cubs front office logic behind Michael Soroka trade might break your brain

Hoyer clearly has a different definition of "good bet" than the common baseball fan, because the facts make it very clear that Soroka was not a good bet. The Cubs decided to trade for Soroka after he had three starts where there was a noticeable dip in his fastball velocity. Soroka then decided to undergo an MRI to determine the cause was for the dip in velocity, though there was an indication of an injury, Soroka still did not have the cause of origin for his dip in velocity. Nothing about that sequence is the definition of a "good bet".

There is an argument to be made, if the ask truly was Cade Horton, Matt Shaw, and a top prospect, it was a better bet for the Cubs to go for a rental starting pitcher instead of a controllable ace. Fine, no argument here.

But, there were other rental starting pitchers on the trade market, and Soroka was the riskiest of all the options the Cubs were entertaining. Merrill Kelly being traded to the Texas Rangers is why the Soroka trade was not a "good bet" for the Cubs. Charlie Morton easily being pryed away from the Baltimore Orioles by the Detroit Tigers is why the Soroka trade looks like a decision that should have Jed Hoyer fired. But, of course, that won't happen since he received a multi-year extension days before making the worst trade of his tenure.

More Cubs News form Cubbies Crib