Jorge Soler Traded to Angels from Braves for Griffin Canning Ahead of MLB Free Agency

One day after the conclusion of the 2024 MLB season, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels completed a trade Thursday.

The Angels announced that they acquired one-time All-Star and two-time World Series-winning outfielder Jorge Soler from the Braves in exchange for starting pitcher Griffin Canning

News of the trade came down less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the 2024 World Series by virtue of their 7-6 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 5.

Soler, 32, recently completed his second stint with the Braves after they acquired him in a trade with the San Francisco Giants in July.

He slashed .243/.356/.493 with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 49 games with the Braves, and when taking his time with the Giants into account as well, he finished the season at .241/.338/.442 with 21 homers and 64 RBI.

Soler's first spell with the Braves in 2021 was far more memorable, as he made a massive impact after arriving in a midseason trade from the Kansas City Royals.

Serving as a replacement for the injured Ronald Acuña Jr., Soler hit .269 with 14 home runs and 33 RBI in 55 regular-season games for the Braves, and then hit .300 with three homers and six RBI in Atlanta's World Series win over the Houston Astros, earning him World Series MVP honors.

That marked Soler's second World Series win, as he previously won the 2016 World Series with the Chicago Cubs. He has a reputation for being an excellent playoff performer, hitting .275 with seven home runs and 12 RBI in 30 career postseason games with the Cubs, Braves and Miami Marlins.

Soler was named an All-Star for the first and only time to date in 2023 when he slashed .250/.341/.512 with 36 homers and 75 RBI with the Marlins.

The 28-year-old Canning is a right-handed pitcher who has spent his entire five-year MLB career with the Angels, almost exclusively as a starter.

For his career, Canning is 25-34 with a 4.78 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 483 strikeouts over 508 innings. The 2024 season was one of his worst to date, as he went 6-13 with a 5.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 130 strikeouts over 171.2 innings.

The trade should save the Braves some money since Canning is signed at a $5.4 million salary through 2025, while Soler will make $16 million per year through 2026.

Soler will provide the Angels with some outfield and power hitting insurance in case Mike Trout once again misses significant time due to injury after appearing in only 29 games last season.

As for Canning, he could potentially be a replacement in the Atlanta starting rotation for one of Max Fried or Charlie Morton, both of whom are set to hit free agency this offseason.