CHICAGO — Michael Soroka is a new face in the Chicago Cubs’ clubhouse, but he’s no stranger to this city.

Last year, Soroka suited up across town for the White Sox as part of a trade package with the Atlanta Braves for Aaron Bummer in the 2023 offseason. He made 25 appearances on the South Side, nine of them starts. But it wasn’t exactly a dream scenario.

“That’s not the way you write it up,” Soroka said on Sunday of his 2024 season, which saw him post a 0-10 record with a 4.74 ERA across 79.2 innings. “It’s not the way you think things will happen. Having gone through those difficulties last year — personally and as a team — I think it’s a perspective moving forward, understanding that there are lots of ways to have success in this game. It’s just about finding which way works for you.”

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The White Sox went 41-121 last year, breaking a 62-year-old record for the most losses in modern MLB history. In the offseason, Soroka signed with the Washington Nationals. Things were marginally better, but the Nationals are 22 games under .500 and 18.5 games back in the NL East.

It’s nothing like the situation Soroka stepped into when the Cubs traded for him on Wednesday.

The Calgary, Alberta native said it “feels amazing” to join a Cubs team that sits in first place in the NL Wild Card race and two games out of first place in the NL Central.

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“It’s a new life,” he said. “It’s kind of like a new start to the season for me. You get some long days in July, and you’re looking forward to this trade deadline and seeing what happens. Joining a team like this — it’s that new breath of adrenaline.”

It’s not like Soroka isn’t used to winning. With the Braves, he was once a fresh-faced wonderkid who made the NL All-Star team in his sophomore season at just 21 years old. He pitched to a 2.68 ERA as a member of Atlanta’s rotation and finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting.

But that was all the way back in 2019. Soroka had his fair share of struggles after that — a torn Achilles tendon limited him to just three appearances in 2020. He tore the same Achilles again while rehabbing the following year and as a result, he didn’t pitch in the big leagues at all in the two seasons that followed (one of which was the Braves’ World Series-winning season in 2021).

Soroka said the weight of being unable to contribute still lingers in his mind.

“Although it was exciting to be along with the team and a lot of guys that I played with those previous couple of years, it’s still something that’s burning me to this day,” he said. “I didn’t really do a ton that year — I didn’t throw a pitch. So, I’m looking to rewrite that.”

With 50 games left in the regular season, the Cubs have laid out a pretty enticing blank page for Soroka to start putting pen to paper.

He’ll take the mound to make his first start Monday in front of a Chicago defense that ranks second in MLB in defensive runs saved and fourth in outs above average. It’s a stark contrast from the MLB-worst White Sox defense he played with last year and the MLB-fifth-worst Nationals this year.

“That’s exciting,” Soroka said. “The goal this year was coming in and being relentless inside the strike zone. It helps a ton when the defense is as good as it is. I got to watch Dansby for a long time with the Braves. And you know, this is a team that, from the outside looking in, you see that as well.”

The Cubs’ long-term plan for Soroka isn’t yet known, but he’s happy to contribute in whatever way he can.

“This is an organization that I’ve always wanted to play for,” Soroka said. “I appreciate the confidence that they showed in me.  I think that’s a good way to move forward and just hit the ground running.”