With the Los Angeles Angels mired in a losing season, cashing in on Jo Adell’s bat and Jose Soriano’s breakout arm could bring some hope to a grim future
The Los Angeles Angels currently have the worst win percentage in baseball, with just 16 wins in 44 games. Now that the ceiling of this Angels team is abundantly clear, it’s never too early to start looking towards the future.
Los Angeles will be picking at No. 12 in this summer’s MLB Draft – a valuable spot, but not high enough to put a bandage on how the 2026 season has gone. That higher pick will hopefully come in 2027 when the lottery is based on this season’s records.
For now, the Halos need to focus on having a good draft this year to ease the pain of fans who have had to sit through a lot of poor baseball.
The Angels haven’t been great at bringing up talent through the minor league system over the years, which is a big reason they’ve perpetually been one of the bottom teams in the league for some time now.
With a 28th-ranked farm system heading into the year, according to MLB.com, there’s no better time than right now for the Angels to climb up the ranks. To do so, they’ll need to commit to such a change of direction – and that means selling at the trade deadline.
Despite the poor record, there are undoubtedly talented pieces on the Angels' roster that would be desired by other teams across the league. There’s no world where Mike Trout or Zach Neto would be dealt, but other valuable players could help launch the Angels' successful rebuild. Here are two players that the Angels should be listening to offers for before this year’s deadline:
Jo Adell, OF
Adell stayed in Anaheim last year despite having his name brought up both during the season and throughout the offseason. He had a career year in 2025, hitting 37 home runs and driving in 98 runs with a .778 OPS.
The Angels chose not to cash in on his value, but it’s still not too late. Although his numbers at the plate aren’t quite as impressive, Adell has batted in the second-most runs of any Angels player and has maintained his power-focused bat.
Set to become a free agent after next season, Adell’s value is only diminishing as time passes. Finally pulling the plug on Adell could help the Halos land a valuable prospect or two to replenish a thin farm system.
Jose Soriano, RHP
Soriano has shocked the baseball world this season with his sudden burst onto the scene as a true ace. Leading MLB pitchers in WAR through his first nine starts (excluding two-way star Shohei Ohtani), Soriano has gifted the Angels with a hugely valuable arm.
With the Angels at the bottom of the league and no sign of change anytime soon, the Angels should consider pulling the trigger on a trade that would cash in on Soriano’s unexpected Cy-Young contention season.
Pitching has been a weakness for the Angels year after year, and it may seem idiotic to deal their newfound ace. Still, there’s a bit of uncertainty surrounding Soriano due to his sudden rise to stardom.
If the Angels receive a compelling offer that would bring multiple top prospects to Anaheim, the front office should absolutely consider making the deal and betting on the fact that 2026 will be an outlier for the right-hander. With the desperate situation the Angels are in, they need to be willing to take such risks.