New Angels Slugger Has Blunt Response for How Halos Can Become Relevant

The Los Angeles Angels are currently on a winning streak, racking up victories while finally getting the offense going and the pitching staff keeping the team competitive. However, the team's season has seen more lows than highs overall.

More news: Angels Place Pitcher on Injured List, Call Up Veteran World Series Champ

Designated hitter Jorge Soler was acquired via trade over the winter; however, he has traveled extensively, having spent time with the Atlanta Braves, where he won a title and was named World Series MVP as well.

Soler was asked what the Angels need to do to begin achieving success, perhaps similar to the Braves' winning ways.

“Invest,” Soler told Sam Blum of The Athletic. “You see the Braves, they have a lot of money for contracts.”

Soler's statement has been echoed by fans for years, urging the team to invest more in free agents and enhance quality throughout the roster.

Ron Washington, who was part of the coaching staff in Atlanta, believes that the franchise is moving in the right direction, though the rebuild takes time.

“You need players,” Washington said. “… It takes time. It’ll take about three years before you start seeing big-time improvement.

“These past couple years, I think we’ve been trying to get it right.”

The payroll of the Braves is at $211 million, according to FanGraphs, while the Angels’ payroll is $203 million. However, the Braves not only spent more but also spread the money out in an efficient manner.

The Angels, instead, have a significant portion of the payroll allocated to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, who have regularly been injured and unavailable for the team. Trout has remained an effective player, though he is no longer living up to his salary of more than $30 million per season.

The Rendon deal has proven to be a burden on the team’s finances, serving as a significant anchor in their payroll.

These two major deals have hamstrung the team, preventing them from re-signing young players early in their careers and instead forcing them to wait until later to possibly extend their contracts.

Jorge Soler clears the bases and walks it off for the Angels! 👏

(via @mlbespanol)pic.twitter.com/HtlLIqlRz7
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 8, 2025

Players like Zach Neto and Logan O'Hoppe have already proven to be strong assets and should be signed to long-term, team-friendly deals. Instead, they risk spending even more money to retain these players or face losing them altogether.

Continued investment needs to occur, but spending also needs to be more efficient and match the approach that the Braves and other successful teams have taken: Sign young stars early and avoid overpaying for aging veterans.

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