Desperate contenders may force Angels into a shocking Jose Soriano decision

Over the first six starts of the season, Jose Soriano wasn't just the best starter in the MLB; he was historic. The 27-year-old became the first starting pitcher in history to allow just one earned run over his first six starts. Ever.

Since then, Soriano has given up eight earned runs over nine innings in a pair of starts against the Chicago White Sox, which has led some to underestimate him again. The White Sox don't have the best reputation, but they've accumulated a collection of pesky young hitters with potential, making the subpar outings less of a concern.

It makes it ridiculous to see that those two outings led to him falling precipitously in MLB.com's starting pitcher power rankings. Obviously, Soriano was due to come back to earth at some point. No one can maintain the torrid pace he was on. But it's equally clear that he's finally harnessed his stuff to become a true ace.

The Angels have lacked that for eons, but now with Soriano pitching like a Cy Young front-runner and Mike Trout hitting as he'll finally be a factor again in the MVP race, the Halos find themselves on a road that's all too familiar on the way to another last-place finish in the AL West.

The depressing reality is that no matter how outstanding these two are, the roster as a whole is still too weak to sniff contention. That brings up an interesting question -- should the Angels really consider trading Soriano after searching for an ace for so long?

Trading Jose Soriano might be the best course of action for the Angels

Brass tacks, the Halos do not have a good enough or consistent enough young core to envision building a contender around. Logan O'Hoppe has struggled for the better part of a year and a half and is a trainwreck defensively. Nolan Schanuel will never hit for enough power to be a viable first baseman. Jo Adell's 2026 power outage might prove that 2025's supposed breakout was a fluke.

The only young piece on the offensive side of the ball that has been consistent has been Zach Neto, though his strikeout rate rising year after year threatens to derail his progress.

On the pitching front, the cupboard is pretty bare. Jack Kochanowicz has generated some impressive results, but the underlying metrics make it questionable as to whether or not he'll actually be able to sustain it. Reid Detmers has been just okay in his return to the rotation. Young hurlers like Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, and George Klassen may have already been ruined by the inept franchise.

Resetting their own reset is the best path forward, and the way things are going, Soriano could net them a massive haul. The right-hander comes with two years of team control beyond 2026, and if we look at offseason deals for the likes of Shane Baz, Mike Burrows, and Edward Cabrera, controllable starters go for sky-high prices. A desperate contender could be convinced to give up an astronomical package for him at the trade deadline.

In light of Tarik Skubal's injury, Soriano is set up to be far and away the best starting pitcher to potentially be available come July. That would help the Angels pull off a dramatic heist should they be willing to trade him.

The biggest impediment, of course, is Perry Minasian. The embattled general manager rarely makes big swings and has a deluded view of the club's outlook. He's also in the last year of his contract and is fighting for his job, so giving up such a valuable asset might not be in his plans.

But it should be in the Angels'. For far too long, they've lacked a long-term vision. Trading Soriano, assuming he continues his breakout, will help them attain that. Getting back to the realm of perennial contenders should be the Halos' top primary objective, and the current crop of players won't get them there, so it's time to make hard choices and take the long trek back towards relevance.

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