Angels Regret Trading for $42 Million All-Star, Says Insider

May 7, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jorge Soler (12) hits a walk-off double during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Jorge Soler has not been the source of serious power the Los Angeles Angels thought he'd be when acquiring him in the offseason from the Atlanta Braves.

An outfielder with the reputation as an elite slugger, Soler only has six homers thus far on the year. He's hitting a meager .213, and his .289 on-base percentage is utterly horrible.

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When further analyzing his advanced metrics, Soler's hitting numbers are quite poor. He ranks in the 12th percentile in expected batting average (.218). He's also towards the bottom of the league in strikeout percentage (29.4 percent) and squaring up the ball as a percentage (8th percentile).

Bleacher Report writer Kerry Miller crafted a piece in which all 30 MLB ballclubs were analyzed. The goal was to speak on offseason moves that haven't panned out for each team thus far. As it pertains to the Angels, two specific transactions stick out as moves the Halos would probably like a do-over on in retrospect.

"The first of two spots on this list where a team wishes it could have a Griffin Canning mulligan, giving up that starting pitcher for Jorge Soler has aged horrendously for the Angels. While Canning has been lights out on a $4.25M deal with the Mets, Soler is making more than triple that ($13M) for what is presently his worst OPS (.680) in a season with more than 110 plate appearances, providing virtually no ROI as the primary DH for the Halos.

"While Canning has been lights out on a $4.25M deal with the Mets, Soler is making more than triple that ($13M) for what is presently his worst OPS (.680) in a season with more than 110 plate appearances, providing virtually no ROI as the primary DH for the Halos. Worse still, one week after the trade, they signed Kyle Hendricks to replace Canning in the rotation. He has a 5.18 ERA and a 1-5 record through eight starts."

What is Alex Anthopoulos' biggest miss this year?

Is it acquiring Griffin Canning for Jorge Soler, then non-tendering him, allowing him to sign a $4.25M deal with the rival Mets, where he is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, outperforming all Braves pitchers?

Or was it not adding to the…

— The Voice of Reason (@SportsAndStock1) May 21, 2025

There are times where moves pan out... and other times when they fail miserably. In this case, both of the aforementioned acquisitions made by the Angels have been poor.

L.A. hoped that the veterans Hendricks and Soler would have a bit more left in the tank. At this point, that gamble has not paid off.

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