The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels have agreed on a deal to send OF Jorge Soler to the West Coast. The Braves had a dilemma, after trading for Soler midway through the season, to find him a spot in 2025. The Angels have shipped Griffin Canning back to the Braves in exchange. The Angels need an outfielder to work; however, with Soler most likely being a designated hitter, questions arise about the availability of Mike Trout. After Trout’s injury, conclusions suggest the center fielder moved to designated hitter.
Jorge Soler
Soler started his 2024 season with the San Francisco Giants. The Braves traded for Soler with Luke Jackson at the deadline. The trade paired two players from the 2021 World Series team. However, Soler needed help finding his hot bat like he had three years before. The slugger hit well after the trade but not at the 2021 postseason level. In 43 games, he posted a .243 average with nine home runs and 24 RBI.
The issue for Atlanta is the defense he played on the right field. With Acuña coming back, Soler’s fielding cost him. His 80% success rate is eight percent below the average, and his negative seven OAA drags his value down. A designated hitter role is looming for Soler, and the Braves have Marcell Ozuna at DH. However, the Angels coughed up the price Atlanta snapped at.
The Angels agreed to pay for Soler’s 32 million dollar deal left on his 2-year contract.
Jorge Soler doing Jorge Soler things in October pic.twitter.com/HqOqrYOvfP
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) October 3, 2024
Griffin Canning
Canning, the 28-year-old, struggled this season for the Angels. The Ron Washington-led team did not find their footing, and neither did Canning. He posted a 5.17 ERA and 1.398 WHIP. His strikeouts per nine fell from 9.9 to 6.8 this season. However, one benefit from Canning is the innings he pitched this season. A career-high 171 2/3 innings give the Bravos an inning eater that could be lost from Charlie Morton‘s rumored retirement. Canning’s fastball and breaking pitches ranked bottom five percentile, but his off-speed ranked 87th in 2024. He attempts to find his footing with the Braves, where he may start. He might also become a long-relief pitcher, something the Braves lack for upcoming free agency.
Griffin Canning is a super interesting reclamation project for the Braves in ‘25. Huge post hype breakout potential.
He’s also elite at PFPs
pic.twitter.com/KjgPsBakK5— Ben Axelrod (@Benaxelrod93) October 31, 2024
