The Nationals have made their long-awaited first major league acquisition of the winter, signing right-hander Michael Soroka to a one-year, $9 million deal.

The signing, formally announced by the team this afternoon, is their first of an unusually quiet offseason to date but perhaps signals the start of a more active period before the holidays. The financial terms, confirmed by a club source, make the 27-year-old the highest paid player on the team for now.

Soroka burst onto the scene with the Braves in 2019, going 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA and 1.111 WHIP to earn an All-Star selection, plus votes for the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards. His career has been ravaged by injuries since, beginning with a freak Achilles tendon tear that essentially kept him out of the big leagues for more than two full seasons.

The Braves traded Soroka to the White Sox last winter, and he attempted to revive his career in Chicago. It didn’t go well at first; he went 0-5 with a 6.39 ERA in nine early season starts for a team that would eventually set the major league record with 121 losses. But he was much more effective pitching out of the bullpen the remainder of the season, posting a 2.75 ERA in 16 appearances, most of them lasting multiple innings.

The Nationals intend to give Soroka a chance to start, according to a club source, which aligns with the money they guaranteed him. As was the case with Trevor Williams in recent seasons, though, the team could shift him to the bullpen at some point if he struggles in the rotation or if another starter emerges.