Roughly 12 hours after trading veteran Kevin Gausman to the Cubs, the Blue Jays found his rotation replacement in José Soriano. The 27-year-old is controllable through the 2028 season, and is a step toward retooling the roster for 2027 rather than a full-scale rebuild in Toronto.
With a 3.29 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 123 innings, Soriano is enjoying a breakout season. That said, his overall numbers are inflated by a brilliant start, and he has a less impressive 4.64 ERA in 85.1 innings over his last 16 starts. Even with that regression, this move still makes a ton of sense for a Blue Jays team with a lot of money on the books, as he will be a low-cost rotation staple.
To LAA: SS Arjun Nimmala (No. 44 on B/R Top 100), SP Angel Rivero, OF Eddie Micheletti
With 60-grade raw power and the quick-twitch athleticism to stick at shortstop, Arjun Nimmala will be one of the better prospects traded at this year’s deadline.
The Blue Jays have moved him aggressively through the minors, as the 20-year-old has responded, hitting .279/.355/.451 with 13 extra-base hits in 138 plate appearances since he was promoted to Double-A in early July.
Eddie Micheletti has an .800 OPS with 20 doubles and 14 home runs in 93 games at Double-A, while Angel Rivero is a teenager right-hander pitching in rookie ball where he has 52 strikeouts in 42 innings.