The Angels have a decision to make on Jorge Soler, and the clock is ticking toward the August 3 MLB trade deadline.
On paper, moving a pending free agent is the kind of thing a team out of contention usually does. Soler, though, is not a simple case. The Angels would like to deal him, but there’s no guarantee anyone wants to take him on.
His two seasons in Los Angeles have been rough. In 2026, Soler is hitting .202/.288/.374 with 12 home runs and 47 runs batted in.
He still has the kind of raw power that once made him a feared bat, but it shows up only in flashes now. He can still launch one when he connects, yet he just doesn’t square the ball up often enough to be counted on as a real power source.
At 34, his defensive value has also fallen off. Soler can handle left or right field if a team absolutely needs him there, but his role is basically limited to designated hitter duties now. That leaves him offering very little overall value, which is why a trade is such a hard sell.
The only realistic path to a deal may be a team getting hit by an injury at DH or in a corner outfield spot and scrambling for help. The Atlanta Braves could fit that kind of scenario if they needed a last-minute replacement, especially since Soler was a playoff hero for that franchise.
Even teams that could use a right-handed outfield bat, like the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, would probably look for better options first and only consider Soler if they had no other choice.
So the Angels may end up trying to shop him over the next week, possibly eating part of his salary in hopes of landing a decent prospect. But the more likely result is that no one bites.
If that happens, Soler probably won’t just keep running out there in the middle of the lineup. The Angels would likely designate him for assignment and open the door for a younger player, with prospect Nelson Rada a possible call-up to get some big league experience.
Maybe someone takes a chance on Soler. But trade or no trade, it sure sounds like his time with the Angels is close to ending.
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