CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs say they knew the risk when they traded for pitcher Mike Soroka -- who saw his velocity drop over his final few starts for the Washington Nationals before the deal.

On Monday, Soroka left his first start for the Cubs because of shoulder discomfort, which landed him on the injured list.

"We knew the velocity was trending down," Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations, said Tuesday afternoon. "We talked through that extensively. Given the market, given the asking price ... we felt like it was a good bet to make. Right now, it's not looking like a good bet."

Hoyer said the team tried to sign Soroka in the offseason because they saw potential in the veteran right-hander whose career has been hampered by injuries. He was 3-8 with a 4.87 ERA for the Natio

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