The Braves got their offseason started by trading Jorge Soler to the Angels for Griffin Canning. The return in Canning, a 28-year-old pitcher with a career 4.78 ERA over five seasons, isn’t exactly sexy. Perhaps he competes for the final spot in the Braves rotation next year, but there’s also a high probability the Braves choose to non-tender him, saving more than $5 million in salary. However, this trade was never about Canning; it was all about ridding of the remaining $32 million left over the final two years of Jorge Soler’s contract, who no longer had a place to play in Atlanta.
Over at ESPN, David Schoenfield gave the Braves a C for the deal.Â
“The Braves had acquired Soler from the Giants last summer as a fill-in for the injured Ronald Acuna Jr., shoehorning him into right field with Marcell Ozuna locked into the DH role,” Schoenfield writes.”Soler isn’t really an outfielder any longer — the Giants had played him only as a DH — so it was pretty clear the Braves had to trade him.
With that in mind and knowing Soler will make $16 million each of the next two seasons, getting anything back is fine and Canning could at least be a No. 5 starter. He gives the Braves another rotation option if free agent Max Fried signs elsewhere — which is a strong possibility.”
A C is probably a fair trade, considering the Braves didn’t necessarily get better by moving Jorge Soler and acquiring Griffin Canning, who, again, might not even be on the roster next year. What will ultimately determine whether this move is a success are the acquisitions that come next.
Alex Anthopoulos has now made three significant moves through the first few days of the offseason, and all of them involved clearing salary for 2025. With payroll expected to rise again, the Braves seem to be positioning themselves to make a significant splash of some variety, whether it be through free agency or another trade.
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Photo: Kevin Langley/Icon Sportswire
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