Angels' latest Injured List decision closes door on offseason mistake ahead of Year 2

The Los Angeles Angels had a clear goal this offseason -- drastically improve their 2024 team SLG of .369 that ranked 28th in baseball. Obviously, the linchpin of that turnaround was Mike Trout coming back off an injury-riddled season and re-establishing himself as one of the preeminent power hitters in the sport. Zach Neto and Taylor Ward needed to maintain their level of play, Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell and Logan O'Hoppe needed to be more consistent in driving the ball and Perry Minasian went out and brought in some players who could round out the roster.

However, the main acquisition from the offseason who was supposed to supplement Trout, Neto, Ward and Co. could not hold up his end of the bargain. The Angels' SLG did improve to .401 so far this season despite the season from hell Jorge Soler is having.

Angels' latest Injured List decision closes door on offseason mistake ahead of Year 2

Soler, who was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Griffin Canning, was recently placed on the 60-day injured list. Technically, the outfielder/designated hitter could return by the end of the season but there does not seem to be much optimism that he will. If Soler's season is over, he will end it with a .215/.293/.387/.680 slash line -- that batting average if the third lowest rate of his career, and the OBP, SLG and OPS are the second lowest. He played in just 82 games this season and totaled 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and posted a 94:28 K:BB.

Soler last played in a game on July 23rd before experiencing lower back issues that have kept him out for close to two months. Soler suffered from a groin injury not long before his back began to flare up, and both maladies are mostly a result from the normally full-time DH having to play more outfield due to Trout's knee issues this season.

Canning was going to get DFA'd by the Angels, so Minasian decided to flip him for the once-elite power hitter. Canning was let go by the Braves, and shined for a portion of the season for the New York Mets before rupturing his left Achilles tendon. If Trout was able to play every day in right field, then the trade was a no-brainer. However, Soler has little-to-no place on the team anymore with Trout being subjected to full-time DH. The issue is that Soler is under contract for next season at a $13 million figure.

If the Anthony Rendon situation is any indication, the Angels will likely retain Soler for next season if/when they cannot find a trade partner to take on Soler. The Angels would definitely need to eat some of his salary figure to offload him, and the return would be minimal given his sharp decline in production. Waiving and releasing Soler would mean eating the entirety of that $13 million next year, and the team will definitely not defer any of that money. Carrying Soler next season is a problem, but the team could try and find a way to turn him into an effective part-time player despite the inflated salary.

It's difficult to say trading for Soler was a dumb move, it just did not work. Minasian needed to add some pop into the lineup and Soler had been quite good the two prior seasons. Would the Angels take that move back in retrospect? Absolutely -- the vibes are real low with the Soler situation heading into 2026.

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