LA Angels somehow acquire Jorge Soler for struggling former top prospect

The morning after the World Series ended, Perry Minasian got to work and kicked off the offseason with a bang. Minasian has longstanding relationships with the Atlanta Braves, and he used those connections to quickly acquire outfielder/DH Jorge Soler straight up for SP Griffin Canning. The soon-to-be 33-year-old Soler will be under contract for 2 more seasons and for $16 million each year. Arte Moreno vowed to increase payroll, and he most certainly will be doing so as Canning was predicted to make around $5 million next year. There was no money exchanged in the trade.

Between the timing of the trade and the exchange, this was a truly shocking trade. It was reported that Canning was likely to be offered a contract in arbitration, but nobody would have been surprised if the Angels non-tendered the struggling starter.

Soler is an absolute masher who will be immediately inserted into the meat of the Angels' lineup. Last season, Soler's bat speed ranked in the 94th percentile of MLB hitters and his barrel percentage was in the 86th percentile. He also works counts and takes his walks. He strikes out a ton, he led the league in strikeouts back in 2019, but he actually does not chase outside the zone as much as one would think. Both the Giants and Braves utilized him often as a leadoff hitter, but Ron Washington will likely bat him clean-up (behind some combination of Luis Rengifo, Nolan Schanuel, Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, or Zach Neto).

Jorge Soler adds a key dimension to a flawed Angels roster

Positionally, as the team is currently constructed, the Angels will mix and match their outfield and DH spots between Trout, Ward, Soler, Jo Adell, and Mickey Moniak. Soler picked up RF last year with the Braves, but is not a stellar defender. Soler is slow and therefore cannot cover a lot of ground, plus he has mediocre arm strength. Ideally, Soler can spend most of his games as the team's DH, but Trout will filter in as the DH more than he ever has.

The Angels require a litany of improvements roster-wise if they aim to compete in 2025. The team's .369 SLG ranked 28th in baseball, and Soler's .442 SLG ranked 53rd in the league (one spot behind Neto). His .780 OPS would have been the top mark on the Angels. Additionally, Soler is a terrifying presence at the plate. He is muscular and stands six feet, four inches tall. He has one of the most iconic home runs in the history of baseball back in 2021, belting a 446ft, 3-run shot out of Minute Maid Park during Game 6 the World Series while with Atlanta.

A former second round pick, Griffin Canning's Angels tenure was rocky to put it mildly. Canning was marred by injury and ineffectiveness, and he ended up leading the league in earned runs in 2024. Canning could easily be a change-of-scenery guy, as he has a high-ride four seam, a hard changeup with good depth, a high-80s/low-90smph, bullet slider, and sweeping curveball. The Braves will more probably than not unlock his arsenal and help him reach the high potential that Angels fans yearned for. It was not going to happen with the Angels.

The Angels are not a free agency destination, and thus needed to reshape the roster predominantly through trades. There will be a few more before Spring Training begins. Hold on to your hats, Angels fans. Hot stove season is here.