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3 former Braves players to reunite with Ron Washington on the Angels

Could Ron Washington look to bring some former Braves to Anaheim with him?

By Zachary Rotman |
Nov 15, 2023; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington speaks at introductory
Nov 15, 2023; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington speaks at introductory / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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The Los Angeles Angels hired and officially introduced Ron Washington as the team's manager for the 2024 season. It's an exciting hire for the Angels as Washington will look to change the culture in Anaheim and get the franchise back on track after eight straight losing seasons.

We've already seen Washington bring Braves first base coach Eric Young Sr. with him to Anaheim to coach third base for the Angels. Washington could look to add more staff members from his Atlanta days to his new coaching staff with the Angels, but could also be in Perry Minasian's ear about bringing former Braves players to town. There are some former Braves in free agency that would be pretty decent fits.

1) Jorge Soler

While the Angels hope to bring Shohei Ohtani back, it's far from a foregone conclusion that that'll happen. In fact, it's more likely than not that Ohtani will depart. Ohtani leaving would mean there's a gaping hole in the Angels lineup as they'd have MVP numbers to replace.

Jorge Soler isn't close to the player Ohtani is, obviously, but he can slot right into the DH position if Ohtani leaves and provide close to the same production power-wise at the very least. That does count for something.

While in Atlanta, Soler helped them get to the postseason thanks to an incredible second half and then won World Series MVP, hitting three home runs in their victory against the Astros. He only spent a couple months with Washington and the Braves, but that had to make an impression.

Soler has spent the last two seasons playing for the Marlins. He struggled his first year and was limited to just 73 games due to injury, but he was one of the best designated hitters in baseball this past season. He slashed .250/.341/.512 with 36 home runs and 75 RBI in 137 games for the playoff-bound Marlins.

The 31-year-old smacking 36 long balls while playing half the time at pitcher-friendly Loan Depot Park says a lot about his power. Soler has hit as many as 48 home runs in a season (more than Ohtani's career-high). His issue has always been simply playing games, as he has just four seasons of 100+ games.

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2) Joc Pederson

Joc Pederson is another player Atlanta acquired at the 2021 trade deadline who was only with the team for the final two months of the regular season. Like Soler, he wound up making a major impact helping the Braves win the World Series.

While Soler was the one who took off in the World Series, Pederson's big moments came in the NLDS when he hit two pinch-hit home runs helping Atlanta take down the Brewers. He drove in five runs in the four-game series victory.

Joc spent each of the last two seasons with the Giants. His 2022 season was outstanding, leading him to accept the expensive qualifying offer ahead of the 2023 season. While he failed to replicate the gaudy 2022 numbers, Pederson still did have a .786 OPS against right-handed pitching and has crushed righties for most of his career to a tune of an .834 OPS.

Like Soler, Pederson is not a great defender but he can play both corner outfield spots and even has a bit of experience at first base. He'd primarily be an option as an Ohtani replacement if Shohei leaves, and would create exciting platoon possibilities.

3) Craig Kimbrel

Soler and Pederson both played in Atlanta while Ron Washington was there, but Craig Kimbrel was an Atlanta Brave before then. Kimbrel was in Atlanta to begin his career from 2010-2014 while Washington came to the Braves in 2016. Despite that lack of overlap, he'd still be an interesting fit with the Angels.

Kimbrel is coming off an up-and-down year for the Phillies. He had a solid regular season posting a 3.26 ERA in 71 appearances with 23 saves, but continued to struggle in the postseason as he blew two games in the NLCS against Arizona. At his best, Kimbrel still has the lights out stuff he had in Atlanta but he has his moments where he struggles with his command.

The 35-year-old is one of the best closers in MLB history and is still a very solid arm today, so he'd help an Angels bullpen that could really use it. While his postseason struggles are a legitimate concern, the Angels have to worry about getting there moreso than how he'd perform once they did. Kimbrel would help with that.

While the Angels would presumably look for some better arms before circling to Kimbrel, this right-hander would be a welcome addition to this young Angels bullpen.

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