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The Los Angeles Angels are seemingly setting up for their much-anticipated firesale of in-demand players at the trade deadline.
The Angels made the bold decision to pull Jose Soriano, the team’s best starter, from his scheduled start against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Oddly enough, general manager John Mozeliak did not hide the fact that the decision was made due to the trade deadline, something rarely done by the team.
“Today, José Soriano will not make his scheduled start. With the trade deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us,” the Angels announced.
Jun 24, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) looks up in the dugout during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Soriano is coveted for two reasons — he has two more years left of team control, keeping his cost down for contenders on a budget, and he has really broken out despite the Angels’ pitching development woes.
He has a 3.29 ERA on 123 innings pitched, with an amazing 51.9% ground ball rate. His FIP sits at 3.79, showing that there is a lot of credence to the good ERA.
What changed for Soriano? Well, he started throwing his sinker less and mixed in the four-seam fastball more.
He throws a hard fastball, averaging 97.3 MPH, which is actually a tick down, but his mix is improved enough that it hasn’t affected him.
Apr 6, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) delivers to the plate in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Mozeliak has been coy, as executives tend to be about their willingness to deal in-demand players.
Given that Soriano, among others, have team control for a handful of years, the Angels are in no rush to deal them, allowing them to either wait for a good offer or simply hold onto them.
“The sense I have right now is: I don’t know,” Mozeliak told The Athletic on Thursday afternoon. “We are staying very open-minded in this process. Ultimately, we’ll see where this goes.
“We know change is important. We know we have to do things differently. It doesn’t mean you move a player to say we moved a player. We have to do well and have success in these types of trades. We just can’t do something rash to say we did something to appease a narrative.”
However, Saturday’s call to pull Soriano makes it clear that a trade is more likely than not.
The post Angels Fuel Blockbuster Trade Speculation After Prized Starter Is Scratched appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Continue reading...
The Angels made the bold decision to pull Jose Soriano, the team’s best starter, from his scheduled start against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Oddly enough, general manager John Mozeliak did not hide the fact that the decision was made due to the trade deadline, something rarely done by the team.
“Today, José Soriano will not make his scheduled start. With the trade deadline on Monday and the uncertainty of the next 48 hours, we decided to take a prudent approach and see where these next few days lead us,” the Angels announced.
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Jun 24, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) looks up in the dugout during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Soriano is coveted for two reasons — he has two more years left of team control, keeping his cost down for contenders on a budget, and he has really broken out despite the Angels’ pitching development woes.
He has a 3.29 ERA on 123 innings pitched, with an amazing 51.9% ground ball rate. His FIP sits at 3.79, showing that there is a lot of credence to the good ERA.
What changed for Soriano? Well, he started throwing his sinker less and mixed in the four-seam fastball more.
He throws a hard fastball, averaging 97.3 MPH, which is actually a tick down, but his mix is improved enough that it hasn’t affected him.
You must be registered for see images attach
Apr 6, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jose Soriano (59) delivers to the plate in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Will the Angels actually trade Jose Soriano?
Mozeliak has been coy, as executives tend to be about their willingness to deal in-demand players.
Given that Soriano, among others, have team control for a handful of years, the Angels are in no rush to deal them, allowing them to either wait for a good offer or simply hold onto them.
“The sense I have right now is: I don’t know,” Mozeliak told The Athletic on Thursday afternoon. “We are staying very open-minded in this process. Ultimately, we’ll see where this goes.
“We know change is important. We know we have to do things differently. It doesn’t mean you move a player to say we moved a player. We have to do well and have success in these types of trades. We just can’t do something rash to say we did something to appease a narrative.”
However, Saturday’s call to pull Soriano makes it clear that a trade is more likely than not.
The post Angels Fuel Blockbuster Trade Speculation After Prized Starter Is Scratched appeared first on LA Sports Report.
Continue reading...
