The have acquired right-handed starting pitcher from the hours ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline, the teams announced Monday. In return, the Angels will receive shortstop prospect , outfielder Eddie Micheletti, and right-hander Angel Rivero.
Soriano, 27, has enjoyed a strong season in 2026 as a member of the Angels rotation, and he’s under team control through the 2028 season. Those multiple years of control added significantly to his trade value and explain why interim Angels general manager John Mozeliak was able to get such a substantial return.
Soriano joins the Blue Jays only hours after they .
The Angels, under new leadership, get back a significant prospect haul, headlined by 20-year-old Nimmala, the No. 20 pick in the 2023 Draft. ranked him the Blue Jays’ second-best prospect, highlighting the power that “continued to show flashes of excitement, stemming from his upright right-handed stance and vicious uppercut swing,” especially considering his youth.
This season, Nimmala has been promoted as high as Double-A, where he’s hitting .279/.355/.451. Neither Micheletti nor Rivero made Pipeline’s top 30 Blue Jays prospects. Here now are our grades for both teams.
The Blue Jays have a type — loud stuff and less than stellar control — and Soriano fits it to a T. Whether they can help Soriano harness his stuff the same way they helped remains to be seen, but Soriano aligns with what the Blue Jays do well with pitchers. That’s promising, though it does not guarantee success. (Getting Soriano away from the Angels is another reason to think there’s another level here.)
Toronto enters play Monday 4 ½ games behind the third wild card spot with six teams ahead of them. Soriano will boost the team’s slim postseason odds this year, but this trade is geared more toward the future, given his remaining team control. Here is the Blue Jays’ 2027 rotation depth chart using only players under contract or team control beyond this season:
The Blue Jays have a ton of money coming off the books after this season (Gausman, , , etc.) and can make a play for a free agent starter to slot into the top half of that rotation. Given how aggressive they’ve been in free agency the last few offseasons, I would expect them to make a serious run at .
It’s a hefty price for Soriano, whose value to the Blue Jays in 2026 is minimal given their place in the standings. These next two months will be a runway to work with him on whatever adjustments Toronto has in mind, continuing with them into the offseason, then preparing to fully launch in 2027. A pricey gamble, but a smart one.
Barring a surprise blockbuster (always possible on deadline day), Nimmala will be the best prospect traded at the deadline this year. He’s a consensus to 40-ish prospect in baseball, one who reached Double-A as a 20-year-old this season. Nimmala has the talent to be an impact player at an up-the-middle position. The Angels needed a true stud prospect to trade Soriano and they got one.
Micheletti, 24, is a bat-first player hitting .251/.347/.454 in Double-A. There are enough secondary skills (defense, baserunning, etc.) to carve out a career as a lefty platoon bat. Rivero, 19, is a rookie ball lottery ticket with good strike-throwing ability and a 95 mph heater. He’s a long-term development project. Nimmala alone makes this an A haul for the Angels. The other guys are gravy.
