Former Braves fan favorite could betray all he knows to sign with division rival

Michael Soroka will go down as the greatest what could have been candidate for the Atlanta Braves during their recent run of prominence. The only guy in Braves lore I can honestly compare him to was the other star pitcher from the earliest days of the Team of the 90s era in Steve Avery. If his arm held up, he could have been every bit as good as teammates Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz.

Entering the COVID season, Soroka was my pick to win NL Cy Young. Instead, he ruptured his Achilles for the first time that abbreviated campaign before tearing it again on the way back. Soroka eventually returned to the Braves a few years later, but he was not going to be a reliable piece in the Atlanta rotation going forward. So he was dealt the Chicago White Sox for Aaron Bummer last year.

While Chicago was varying shades of awful, he did reinvent himself as a trusted reliever for the South Siders. Mike Petriello of MLB.com feels he will be a hot commodity as a free agent in that role this offseason. Alex Lord of SportsTalkATL.com believes that could be bad news bears for the Braves, as one of their most hated rivals has interest in him. Could you imagine if he went to the New York Mets?

New York is never going to be done spending money, so who is going to try and stop Steve Cohen?

If we can come around the idea of Glavine starring for the Mets to end his prime, we should be alright.

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Former Braves star pitcher Michael Soroka is drawing interest from Mets

Look. I am not going to be one to root against a player who has already overcome so much physically. It is a testament to Soroka's mental toughness and his desire to compete at the game's highest level. If somebody wants to pay him top-dollar for his services, Braves, Mets or whomever, I am never going to blame him for getting what is his and then some. He has lived out his own baseball mortality before.

We still have all offseason to figure out what to make of the NL East next year. I am sure the Braves will not be the favorite to win the division, as the Mets are ascending and the Philadelphia Phillies won it last year. However, I do believe that there are enough smart people out there who live and die with every pitch to recognize that Atlanta's year from hell is not likely to repeat itself. They will be better.

What I do know is Soroka is one of the few players in the game it is impossible to root against, no matter your rooting interest. Life is hard. For him to continue to give it his all on the mound when his career has not gone according to plan in remarkable. He is still on the good side of 30. Even if he mows down one Braves lineup after another becoming a star in New York, Atlanta won't be that mad.

If Soroka can keep his MLB career alive by becoming an elite relief pitcher, then I am so here for it.