José Soriano is forcing Angels into a decision they can’t afford to mess up

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher José Soriano has always offered tantalizing talent. Unfortunately, a slow start to his career and two Tommy John surgeries have kept the right-hander from reaching his full potential.

Soriano, however, has put his injury-riddled past in the rearview mirror and has come out of the gates firing on all cylinders to begin the 2026 season. After the Angels' 6-2 over the Atlanta Braves on Monday night in Anaheim, Soriano became the first pitcher to reach three wins on the season and owns a sparkling 0.45 ERA.

Soriano's fast start begs the question — should the Angels consider offering their budding young ace a contract extension?

There are obvious concerns when it comes to offering long-term contracts to pitchers, especially those with a history of injuries. The Angels, however, don't have the best track record when it comes to attracting top-level talent, and Soriano's injury-plagued past might actually help the two sides to come to terms on a mutually beneficial extension.

The Angels must consider signing José Soriano to a long-term extension

In case you haven't been paying attention, it's extension season throughout Major League Baseball. Teams and agents use the first month-plus of the season as a negotiating window to work out long-term contracts — something the Angels haven't done in recent years. In fact, the last time the Angels signed a player to an extension was in 2019 when Mike Trout agreed to a 12-year, $426 million deal.

Soriano signed a one-year, $2.9 million deal to avoid arbitration this offseason and is under team control through the 2028 season. So while there's no need to rush to sign him to an extension, the longer the Angels wait, the more expensive he'll become.

Trying to find a comp for Soriano might be difficult given his injury history, but Shane Baz recently inked a five-year, $68 million extension with the Baltimore Orioles. Baz has battled oblique injuries in the past and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. A similar offer might be enough to bring Soriano and the Angels to the negotiating table.

If no deal is reached in the coming weeks, it's unlikely to happen this season. And, with the upcoming labor talks likely to result in a lockout, the chances of negotiating a long-term extension next winter could be rather difficult.

Extending Soriano doesn't qualify as a must-do for the Halos this spring, but it would certainly provide the team with the security of having a top-of-the-rotation arm for the next several seasons, and give Angels fans hope for brighter days ahead.