Los Angeles Angels’ 2026 Trade Deadline Recap

Looking into what the Angels received in return, they acquired 19-year-old infielder Angel Arredondo, who’s logged defensive innings at second base, third base, and shortstop throughout the minor leagues. He was part of the Rangers’ 2024 international signing class and made his affiliated debut later that year in the Arizona Complex League as a 17-year-old.

Arredondo’s best tools are definitely his plus defense and arm strength. He features solid bat-to-ball skills but isn’t expected to hit for much power right now. He’s a career .242 hitter across three minor league seasons to go along with a .737 OPS and has shown a solid approach at the plate. He’s been able to draw walks at a 15.6% clip while maintaining an above-average 19% strikeout rate.

Angels Receive: Arjun Nimmala (SS) Eddie Micheletti Jr. (OF) Angel Rivero (RHP)

Blue Jays Receive: Jose Soriano (RHP)

To kick off the Aug. 3 trade deadline, the Angels made an early-morning trade that sent Jose Soriano to the Blue Jays in exchange for a three-player package headlined by infielder Arjun Nimmala. Soriano had a historic start to the 2026 season, becoming the first MLB starting pitcher since 1900 to allow one or fewer total runs through his first six starts of the season. He posted an insane 0.24 ERA through his first six starts of the year.

It was rumored for weeks leading up to the trade deadline that either Jose Soriano or Reid Detmers would be on the move, maybe even both. Well, Soriano ended up being the only one traded, and the Angels got themselves a great package in return. It was an odd move at the time for the Blue Jays, who had traded Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs the night prior.

The headliner of the return — and maybe one of the best prospects moved during the entire trade deadline besides outfielder Zyhir Hope — was Blue Jays shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who is Just Baseball’s No. 27 overall prospect. He was drafted by the Blue Jays 20th overall in the 2023 draft out of Strawberry Crest High School.

Nimmala is a great all-around shortstop who features plus hitting and power abilities, matched with good speed and defense. He’ll easily slide into being one of the best prospects within the Angels’ organization.

Outfielder Eddie Micheletti Jr. and right-hander Angel Rivero were the other two prospects the Angels received in return for Soriano. Micheletti Jr. has spent the entire 2026 campaign in Double-A split between the Blue Jays’ and Angels’ affiliates and is currently hitting .251 with an .800 OPS to go along with 14 home runs.

Rivero is a 19-year-old who has spent the year in the Florida Complex League. Since making his affiliated debut in 2024, Rivero has pitched to a 3.66 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 113 innings as a starting pitcher.

Angels Receive: Nacho Alvarez Jr. (3B)

Braves Receive: Brent Suter (LHP)

The third trade by the Angels happened not long after the Soriano deal, with lefty reliever Brent Suter being shipped to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. Among all the players on the Angels’ roster, Suter had the highest chance of being moved considering his cheap one-year contract and the fact that he’d been having a solid season.

Due to Suter’s four-pitch mix, the Angels were able to take advantage of his versatility and slot him into many different roles, including multiple-inning appearances and three starts. He’s posted a 4.12 ERA and 1.26 WHIP through 63.1 innings while doing a great job limiting hard contact. Suter’s elite 49.2% ground-ball rate should play well with the Braves’ defense, which ranks 11th overall in the majors.

Alvarez Jr. comes to the Angels after already spending parts of two seasons in the majors and was formerly a top-five prospect within the Atlanta Braves’ organization. He’s primarily served as a third baseman due to his good defense and arm strength, but he does have the ability to play second base when needed. Alvarez Jr. is a hit-over-power player and should provide solid infield depth for the Angels.

Angels Receive: Jacob Cozart (C)

Guardians Receive: Jo Adell (OF)

The prospect that the Angels received from the Cleveland Guardians in return for Jo Adell might be the most underrated addition from this year’s trade deadline. Catching prospect Jacob Cozart headed to the Angels in a deal that sent outfielder Jo Adell to the Guardians, and by this point on Monday, the trade made sense for both sides.

The Guardians finally got their power-hitting outfielder who can destroy left-handed pitching. Cleveland currently ranks 29th in the majors in both OPS and total home runs, while posting just an 88 wRC+ against right-handed pitching. Adell is the perfect fit for the Guardians, as he’s hitting .306 with a .914 OPS and 10 home runs against lefties this year. The downside is that he’s really struggled against right-handed pitching and has only posted a .585 OPS against them.

On the other hand, the Angels got back an encouraging young catcher who fits the same timeline as Juan Flores. He features 55-grade defense with 50-grade arm strength and, for now, is a defense-first backstop. Part of what makes his defense so valuable is his elite pitch-framing ability, a skill that Angels catchers have been severely lacking.

Regarding Cozart’s offense, he isn’t really projected to offer much at the major league level. However, his bat has improved this year, hence his .240/.329/.382 slash line along with 10 home runs.

Angels Receive: Moises Ballesteros (C/DH) Mason McGuire (RHP)

Cubs Receive: Ryan Zeferjahn (RHP)

This was another trade where both teams in the deal got what they wanted and acquired pretty good talent. The Angels sent high-leverage reliever Ryan Zeferjahn to the Chicago Cubs, where he’ll slot into what’s been a solid bullpen thus far. He’s been great this season, posting a 3.71 ERA with elite swing-and-miss stuff. In exchange, the Angels received a young catching/designated hitter project in Moises Ballesteros, along with minor league right-hander Mason McGwire — the son of Mark McGwire.

For the Angels, who just traded away O’Hoppe, it left a big question regarding who would be catching beyond 2026 for the organization. They currently have Travis d’Arnaud, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, along with Tyler Heineman, who won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 campaign. Heineman has a good shot of sticking around next season and could serve as a great veteran mentor to Ballesteros, who is still developing behind the plate.

Ballesteros had a lot of hype as he moved through the Cubs system and was considered one of the Cubs’ top prospects in 2025. He is regarded as having a 60-grade hit tool paired with 50-grade power but lacks speed and could use more development on defense. Ballesteros debuted with the Cubs in 2025 and has hit .246 with a .723 OPS across parts of two seasons.

The other half of the package was Mason McGwire, a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher who went to high school locally in Anaheim at Capistrano Valley High School. He was drafted by the Cubs in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of high school and remained with the organization until being traded to the Angels. This season, between Single-A and High-A, McGwire has posted a 3.64 ERA and 1.23 WHIP across 18 games.

Angels Receive: Kyle Robinson (RHP)

Pirates Receive: Kirby Yates (RHP)

Between the six trades that the Angels made earlier this week, Kirby Yates was likely the least valuable piece shipped away, but he still brought back a decent 23-year-old right-handed pitcher from the Pittsburgh Pirates: Kyle Robinson.

Yates’ 3.95 ERA and 1.17 WHIP may look good on the surface, but he really wasn’t as effective as it may seem. He’s had a tough time retiring the first hitter he faces and has struggled to command the baseball, hence his 4.0 BB/9 rate with the Angels. While Yates did strike out 11.9 batters per nine innings, he was hit around pretty hard and blew three of his six save opportunities.

Robinson, on the other hand, was a pretty fair return for Yates’ services. He was drafted in the 11th round of the 2024 draft by the Oakland Athletics out of Texas Tech University. This week’s trade marks the second time Robinson has been traded this year, as he and Pirates infielder Alika Williams were swapped back in May. He’s spent most of his affiliated career as a starter and owns a 4.55 ERA and 1.43 WHIP this year across three levels.

Yates was one of many relievers the Pirates acquired this week in order to fortify their bullpen, which hasn’t been great this season. Besides Yates, the Pirates also acquired Lake Bachar, Luke Weaver, and Camilo Doval, who are now all active pieces in the Pirates’ revamped bullpen.