The Angels couldn’t move Jorge Soler before the trade deadline, and now they’ve taken the next step: designating the veteran slugger for assignment.
Francys Romero of beisbolfr.com reported a day after the deadline that Los Angeles had cut ties with Soler after failing to find a trade partner on Monday. Romero wrote, "The Angels have designated Jorge Soler for assignment," confirming the move.
It marks a notable change for a team that was a seller at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Mike Trout was never part of the discussion, while Zach Neto and Reid Detmers remained in Los Angeles, but the Angels did ship out a few important pieces. Soler, though, stayed put through the deadline before the club moved on from him anyway.
Soler’s market figures to depend on how clubs view his bat, especially from the right side. Teams that missed out on adding a right-handed hitting outfielder could take a look, and the Philadelphia Phillies were mentioned as a team that would make sense. Any club in need of more offense could also check in.
The issue is the season Soler has put together. In 86 games and 316 at-bats, he hit .203 with 12 home runs and a .664 OPS. That’s a far cry from the hitter he used to be, and the source also notes that he has not even been effective in a platoon role against left-handed pitching.
That helps explain why some teams may have backed away from trade talks, knowing the Angels could simply DFA him after the deadline. Even now, interested clubs may hesitate because of his offensive struggles this year and his limited defensive value.
For the Angels, the decision is straightforward: they’ve cut bait and opened the door for Soler to land with a contender that wants more right-handed power.
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