Jays' trade for Angels SP José Soriano was an MLB trade deadline surprise. Here's why it made sense for both clubs
Less than 24 hours ago, the Toronto Blue Jays began their trade deadline as a seller, sending longtime veteran starting pitcher Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs. But even in a disappointing 2026 season, it's clear the Blue Jays don't plan to be down for long.
Toronto made the first surprise move of the trade deadline Monday, acquiring right-hander José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels. Toronto is sending prospects Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero to the Angels.
Soriano has been one of the hottest names on this year's trade market as he was one of the few players available with multiple years of club control. Toronto's new right-hander has been fairly consistent during his time with the Angels and is in the midst of the best season of his career.
Soriano is 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA in 22 starts this season for the Angels. He should slot into Gausman's spot in the Blue Jays' rotation. The 27-year-old is under club control through the 2028 season.
It makes sense that Toronto wants to quickly get back to winning in 2027. For a team that was just two outs away from winning the World Series and took the Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink in Game 7, they still have many of those pieces and clearly expect to compete next season.
Toronto can now look at 2027 and beyond and build off a strong starting rotation. And when you add an arm like Soriano to a group that already has AL Cy Young contender Dylan Cease, right-hander Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce returning from a torn ACL, you can see the Blue Jays' vision.
The Blue Jays' acquisition of Soriano is a microcosm of this year's trade market as the feeling around the industry is that more teams wanted to thread the needle of buying and selling rather than purely selling.
For the Angels, they are hitting the reset that has been needed in Anaheim. Interim general manager John Mozeliak has now made the team's first real move of impact and still has more he can do before Monday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Several teams around baseball have shown great interest in starting pitcher Reid Detmers and shortstop Zach Neto.
It's the first time in a long time that the Angels have made a trade to help their future. And for Angels owner Arte Moreno, giving the keys to Mozeliak may end up being his best decision in a long time.
