Toronto Blue Jays Pull Off Shocking Trade With Angels for Jose Soriano

The Toronto Blue Jays have made a shocking move at the trade deadline.

Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano throws a pitch. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Toronto Blue Jays have been closely monitored ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. After a rough start to the second half of the season, the Blue Jays have won two consecutive series.

However, they're still eight games below .500 and are 4.5 games back of a wild-card spot. Many thought Toronto would be selling some of their top veterans, and that began on Saturday as they sent Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs.

On Sunday, they've retracted that approach and pulled off a stunning trade with the Los Angeles Angels. Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Blue Jays have acquired starting pitcher Jose Soriano for top shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti, and right-handed pitcher Angel Rivero.

Who are the Blue Jays Getting in Soriano?

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano pitches. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Soriano was one of the best starting pitchers available on the trade market. Soriano has posted a 3.29 ERA with 127 strikeouts this year. The righty had a tremendous start to the season, allowing one earned run through his first 42.3 innings.

He found some struggles in May and June, but has found a rhythm again in July. He's allowed three or fewer runs in five consecutive starts. The key for Soriano is keeping the ball in the yard. He's already tied a career-high in home runs allowed this season (12).

Soriano is excellent at many things, but two areas stand out. He ranks in the 90th percentile in ground-ball percentage (52.3) and in the 89th percentile in whiff percentage (31.4), per Baseball Savant.

He'll form a dynamic pairing with Dylan Cease at the top of the starting rotation. At 27 years old, he still has multiple years of control before becoming a free agent in 2029.

What Are the Blue Jays Giving Up?

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Arjun Nimmala throws. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Acquiring a talented pitcher like Soriano comes at a massive cost. The Blue Jays are sending their second-ranked prospect, per MLB Pipeline, Arjun Nimmala.

This is where the trade gets confusing for Toronto. Nimmala was an extremely enticing prospect within the organization, so sending him away after it appeared the team was going to be sellers at the deadline is a head-scratcher.

Rivero and Micheletti are not ranked inside Toronto's top-30 prospects. Regardless, this is a massive swing from Ross Atkins, just several hours after trading Gausman. It's unclear if other moves are coming from the Blue Jays, but they appear to be both buyers and sellers at the deadline.