The dust on the 2024 MLB season has barely settled, and we are already witnessing teams making blockbuster moves. The Los Angeles Angels led the way by acquiring All-Star outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler in a trade with the Atlanta Braves.
The move will see Soler land in LA, and the Braves will receive starting pitcher Griffin Canning.
According to Angels’ general manager Perry Minasian, the major factor behind the move was the team’s poor at-bats performance in 2024.
“It was a move we felt like we needed to make sooner than later,” Minasian said. “We spent the last three weeks looking at our club, in general, and the strengths and weaknesses. We identified Jorge as somebody who would really fit. It’s right-handed power. It’s somebody that can change a game with one swing of a bat and can go play the outfield if you need him.”
Minasian added that acquiring Soler is just the first move of many that are expected to improve the Angels’ roster and bring them back to the postseason for the first time since 2014.
The Braves, on the other hand, get another capable pitcher to strengthen their rotation while getting financial flexibility to pursue free agents at the position of need. Soler has two years and $26 million left on his deal, while Canning is set to earn $5.4 million in 2025 before hitting the free agency.
Jorge Soler started 2024 with the San Francisco Giants, playing 94 games for the franchise before being traded to Atlanta. He batted .241 with 21 home runs and 64 homers combined.
