Despite a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on the heels of an “emotional” team meeting, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim reverted back to their old ways with an 11-1 thumping at the hands of the defending NL champions and losing two of three in the series.
However, one of the lone bright spots in that series for the Halos was an impressive pitching performance from right-hander Jose Soriano who surrendered two runs on five hits and two walks in eight innings along with five strikeouts.
The 25-year-old Soriano has quietly shown the most promise of any of the young pitchers on the Angels, especially as Reid Detmers and Patrick Sandoval have struggled throughout the season with Detmers recently being demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Sitting in fourth place in the AL West with a 26-42 record, and the trade deadline six weeks away, GM Perry Minasian’s phone will likely be flooded with calls about the availability of their veterans on short-term or expiring deals as well as some of their young players under team control for the next several years.
Minasian has to distinguish which of his young talents are going to be building blocks for the foreseeable future and which ones might have peaked and could be sold high.
He recently spoke candidly about the improvement and progress of the young players like Zach Neto, Logan O’Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell, Taylor Ward and Soriano.
“Obviously, we’re not happy with the record,” Minasian said via Angels.com. “But for me at least, it’s the ability to let the young guys play. We have to develop players to go where we want to go. There are some young players here we’re excited about. I have to remind myself it’s the first full year in the big leagues for a lot of these guys.”
Soriano is one of those guys for the Halos. In his first full big league season, he’s performed well amidst the team’s issues with a 4-5 record, 3.48 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and nearly a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Not to mention, he throws five different pitches in his arsenal, including four-seam fastball that touches 100-MPH.
Those types of arms are always in demand and could net a significant haul for the Halos, especially since Soriano is also under team control until 2026. There’s no doubt teams would anty up high level prospects to land Soriano as he has potential to be an ace.
On the other hand, Minasian also needs to establish a young core to build around and give this sputtering franchise some hope and more importantly, direction for the future.
The pitching staff has the most desperate need for an ace and with Detmers and Sandoval showing they might not be those anchors we originally thought, keeping a young, dynamic talent like Soriano might be the best idea for now.
Minasian might field calls for the young players, but given the hauls he will want in return, opposing teams might shift their focus on the veterans with expiring deals like Kevin Pillar, Luis Garcia, Adam Cimber, Brandon Drury, Carlos Estevez, or Tyler Anderson (under contract until 2025).
“For me, it’s more of where we’re at today,” Minasian said via Angels.com. “The Trade Deadline is still a ways away. You don’t see a lot of moves in early June. But we’ll be prepared for everything. But yes, in theory guys who have expiring contracts are easier [to trade] than the guys who have control and will be part of this team going forward. It’s a case-by-case basis.”
Teams will inquire about Soriano’s availability, but Minasian needs him to stick around and provide a glimpse into the future of the Halos’ pitching staff. While he could be an attractive trade chip, Soriano could be more valuable as a franchise cornerstone, perhaps even more valuable to the Angels.
