The Atlanta Braves just got the kind of news that makes a front office cancel dinner plans. On Saturday, the team placed ace Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, after he left a start against the New York Mets complaining of arm soreness and a velocity drop. For a 26-year-old who’s now dealt with three straight injury-marred seasons, the timing couldn’t be worse. The Braves are in the middle of a tight NL East race, and the trade deadline is August 3. Standing still isn’t an option.
The Braves projected rotation of Chris Sale, Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Bryce Elder, and Hurston Waldrep looked strong in spring training. But Strider started the year on the IL with an oblique strain, and now this elbow issue—which the team is still evaluating for possible structural damage—has thrown everything into doubt. The depth behind that group, Grant Holmes and Joey Wentz, are more about eating innings than shutting down lineups. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear that adding a starter is a priority. The Strider news turns that priority into an emergency.
Why José Soriano Makes Sense
Enter José Soriano. The 27-year-old Angels right-hander has been doing things that look like they belong in a highlight reel. He opened the season by giving up just one run over his first 20 innings, with 21 strikeouts against the Astros, Cubs, and Braves—becoming just the sixth pitcher since 1900 to pull that off in his first three starts. Through 14 starts in 2026, his ERA sits at 2.96, he’s 7-4, and his strikeout rate has jumped from 20.9% over the previous two seasons to 29.6% this year. Braves manager Walt Weiss saw it up close on April 6, when Soriano tossed eight innings of one-run ball against Atlanta, striking out 10 without walking anyone.
What makes Soriano especially appealing is his contract. He’s making just $2.9 million this season and is under team control through 2028. For a Braves team that’s trying to maximize a championship window, that kind of cost control is rare. The Angels, meanwhile, are in rebuild mode. Their farm system is thin, and their playoff drought isn’t ending anytime soon. MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger has identified Soriano as the Angels’ most tradeable asset, and while Los Angeles is reluctant to move him, the right prospect package could change that.
The Offer That Could Get It Done
The Braves have the prospects to make a deal. One realistic package: send shortstop Alex Lodise and right-hander Lucas Braun to the Angels for Soriano. Lodise gives LA a potential everyday shortstop of the future, and Braun is a rotation-ready arm who could help soon. For Atlanta, it’s a fair price for a controllable ace who just dominated their lineup and is on pace to be one of the best pitchers in baseball this season.
The Braves have made bold deadline moves to stay atop the NL East for years. With Strider’s health in question and the rotation thin behind Sale, the boldest—and most necessary—move is a call to Anaheim. Soriano is the answer.
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