The Los Angeles Angels have designated veteran designated hitter Jorge Soler for assignment, a move made Tuesday, the day after the Major League Baseball trade deadline. The decision marks the end of Soler's tenure with the team during a disappointing 2026 season.
Soler, 34, is currently hitting .203 with 12 home runs and 49 RBIs in 86 games played this season, holding a .664 OPS. The Angels had reportedly explored trading Soler prior to Monday's deadline but were unable to find a suitable deal.
Soler was in the final year of a three-year, $42 million contract he signed with the San Francisco Giants before the 2024 season. San Francisco traded him to the Atlanta Braves at the 2024 deadline, and Atlanta subsequently dealt him to the Angels in the ensuing offseason. He was a championship winner with both the Cubs and the Braves, earning World Series MVP honors for Atlanta in 2021.
If Soler clears waivers, the Angels will release him, and he will be free to sign with any other MLB team. The team remains obligated to pay the remaining $3.91 million on his 2026 contract unless another team claims him, in which case that team would assume the remaining salary. Given his production this season and his status as exclusively a designated hitter, it is considered unlikely he will be claimed off waivers.
The Angels' decision to move on from Soler is part of a broader organizational shift toward prioritizing future development. This move follows earlier trades of Jo Adell to the Cleveland Guardians and Jose Soriano to the Toronto Blue Jays before the trade deadline.