Atlanta Braves Flip Jorge Soler to Los Angeles Angels

After half a season with the Atlanta Braves, Jorge Soler is off to Anaheim.

Jorge Soler's brief stint with the Atlanta Braves comes to an end on day one of the offseason / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The MLB offseason has been a go for less than a day, and the Atlanta Braves are going to work.

The team announced that they traded designated hitter and outfielder Jorge Soler has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels. They acquired right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning in return.

#Braves Acquire RHP Griffin Canning: pic.twitter.com/gsOtVrhDe9

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) October 31, 2024

No money was involved, meaning the Braves won't be paying down any of what's left of Soler’s contract. They get his salary off the books and acquire potential pitching depth.

In 32 appearances - 31 starts of those being starts - in 2024, Canning had a 5.19 ERA with 130 strikeouts. He's been inconsistent most of his career with a 4.78 ERA across 99 appearances.

Soler was acquired by the Braves at the trade deadline to bolster the offense during a string of injuries. While he made for a solid addition offensively down the stretch, it’s clear the Braves didn’t see him as a fit for the 2025 roster.

In 49 games with the Braves this season, Soler batted .243 with a .849 OPS, nine home runs and 24 RBIs. 

A major dilemma with next season is Soler’s defense. He’s typically a designated hitter for that reason and was only in the Braves outfield out of extreme necessity. It was common for manager Brian Snitker to pull Soler late in games to prioritize defense - typically Eli White would jump in. 

Since they already have an all-star designated hitter in Marcell Ozuna, there really isn’t a need for Soler at this point.

They also don’t need to keep experimenting with him in the outfield when Ronald Acuña Jr. is expected to be back to take his normal spot in right field. They also have more affordable options for over in left field such as Jarred Kelenic and Ramón Laureano, the latter of whom was a key bat down the stretch as well. 

They also were able to get his contract off the books ahead of spending on other needed upgrades this offseason. Soler is under contract for the next two seasons, making $16 million a year.  

This extra space will give them a chance to go upgrade other more pressing positions, such as shortstop. They could also put that money toward retaining the services of current pending free agents such as starting pitcher Max Fried.