The Atlanta Braves are back on track.
On Monday night, the Braves reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants to acquire All-Star outfielder and two-time World Series champion Jorge Soler. The Braves also get right-handed reliever Luke Jackson in the deal. Both players were with the Braves in 2021 and played a vital role in their World Series title.
Left-handed reliever Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos are returning to San Francisco. Plus, the Braves are assuming the entire contract, paying Soler $13 million in 2025 and 2026. So this trade is as much of a salary drain as any other deal for the Giants.
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As for the Braves, they’re not only bringing back two old friends, but they’re also continuing to recreate the 2021 season. In 2021, star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. tore his ACL and the Braves responded by acquiring four outfielders at the trade deadline: Soler, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall and Joc Pederson.
Duvall spent the entire 2024 season with the Braves, while Rosario was signed by the Braves in early July, a few months after Acuna Jr. tore his ACL for the second time. Soler now returns to Atlanta, leaving Pederson as the only outfielder acquired in 2021 not in Atlanta. Pederson is currently with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the Braves have a left-handed outfielder in Jarred Kelenic on their roster.
Soler, 32, signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Giants last offseason. In 93 games, the power hitter is hitting .240/.330/.419 with 12 homers, 40 RBIs and a .749 OPS. By his standards, it’s a disappointing year, considering he’s coming off a 2023 campaign in which he hit .250/.341/.512 with 36 homers, 75 RBIs and a .853 OPS. He made his lone All-Star appearance last season.
Soler’s best season in Major League Baseball came in 2019, when he hit 48 home runs, drove in 117 runs and posted a .922 OPS. In 2021, he played a crucial role in the Braves’ dominance, posting an .882 OPS over the final 55 games of the regular season.
In the playoffs, Soler was even better. He posted a .948 OPS over his 11 postseason games and was sensational in the World Series, going 6-for-20 with three home runs en route to the World Series MVP award. Rosario won the NLCS award that year.
The Braves are hoping Soler can have similar success in his second stint in Atlanta. Since Acuna Jr. tore his ACL in late May, the Braves have struggled to find a reliable replacement in the outfield. Soler will likely fill that role.
As for Jackson, he spent five seasons with the Braves from 2017-21. He had his best year as a professional in 2021, with a 1.98 ERA in 63.2 innings. He pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in the World Series.
The Braves are looking to recreate their 2021 magic. They currently sit at 56-49, 8.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East. They hold the top wild-card spot in the NL, just ahead of the San Diego Padres and New York Mets.
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