ATLANTA — It didn’t take the Braves lengthy to indicate why they have been so assured they may commerce Jorge Soler this offseason.
Soler was traded to the Angels in trade for right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning on Thursday afternoon, fewer than 24 hours after the World Sequence concluded. In doing so, Atlanta created $26 million of payroll flexibility over the following two years by shifting a participant that didn’t match its future plans.
When the Braves acquired Soler from the Giants on July 30, they’d a direct must strengthen their injury-depleted lineup for the rest of the season. They have been keen to cope with the defensive limitations the designated hitter confirmed whereas serving as their beginning proper fielder for a few months.
However with the injured Ronald Acuña Jr. returning to play proper discipline subsequent season and Marcell Ozuna set to function Atlanta’s designated hitter for at the very least yet another season, there was by no means a long-term match for Soler, who’s owed a $13 million wage in every of the following two seasons.
With this wage being the approximate market worth for DHs, Atlanta was at all times assured it might discover a suitor for the veteran slugger.
The Angels assumed the rest of Soler’s contract and parted methods with Canning, who posted a 5.19 ERA over 32 appearances (31 begins) final season. The 28-year-old hurler might come to camp as a candidate for the Braves’ fifth starter, or Atlanta might as an alternative select to make him a free agent by non-tendering him.
Soler was the 2021 World Sequence MVP after the Braves acquired him from the Royals earlier than that yr’s Commerce Deadline. The 32-year-old veteran didn’t discover the identical magic after returning to Atlanta for the ultimate months of this previous season. He was nonetheless productive, hitting 9 homers and producing an .849 OPS over 49 video games for the Braves, who have been swept by the Padres within the NL Wild Card Sequence.
