Angels make flurry of trades ahead of MLB trade deadline as apparent rebuild begins
The Los Angeles Angels made a flurry of moves ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline on Monday, shipping several of their premier players as they begin their apparent rebuild following Perry Minasian's firing in June.
After trading catcher Logan O'Hoppe and pitcher Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers last week, the Halos made five trades on Monday, completely rebolstering what was widely regarded as a depleted minor league system by sending José Soriano, Jo Adell, Kirby Yates, Ryan Zeferjahn and Brent Suter away just ahead of the 3 p.m. PDT deadline.
José Soriano traded to the Toronto Blue Jays
Perhaps the most likely trade candidate ahead of the deadline was starting pitcher José Soriano, who is in the midst of a breakout season and still has two years of arbitration left before hitting free agency.
His destination, however, was a little more unexpected as the Blue Jays, who are currently fifth in the American League East after a dream run to the World Series last season, ended up sending several of their highly touted prospects to Los Angeles in return.
Soriano, 27, is 9-6 on the year and has a 3.29 ERA with 127 strikeouts in 123 innings pitched. He touts a 1.252 WHIP, despite having walked a second-worst 57 batters among qualified pitchers, and is holding opposing hitters to just a .217 average.
He started the 2026 campaign in incredible fashion, allowing just one run through his first six starts, but his numbers have since returned to earth. Still, he's been far and away one of the Angels' most reliable arms.
In return, the Halos receive a trio of minor league players, most notably shortstop Arjun Nimmala, who ranks No. 43 on MLB's 2026 Prospect Rankings.
Nimmala, 20, was a first-round pick out of a Florida high school in 2023 and most recently played for Toronto's Double-A affiliate. He's hitting .265 on the year and has eight homers and 34 RBIs in 223 at bats. He has six stolen bases, is a highly-regarded fielder and has shown a good eye at the plate, walking in nearly 13% of his plate appearances.
Along with Nimmala, the Angels acquired minor league outfielder Eddie Micheletti and pitcher Angel Rivero.
Micheletti, a 24-year-old who mainly plays the corner outfield positions, has played 93 games with the Blue Jay's Double-A affiliate to the tune of a .251/.347/.800 slashline and 14 homers with 45 RBIs. The eight round pick out of Virginia Tech in the 2024 MLB Draft was not ranked in Toronto's Top 30 prospects by MLB.
Rivero, a right-handed pitcher, is just 19 and hasn't yet played above the Florida Complex League. In 12 appearances this season, he has a 3.43 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 42 innings and has a 1.381 WHIP. Rivero was signed in 2024 out of Venezuela.
Halos get prospect from Cleveland Guardians for Jo Adell
Longtime top prospect and well-established big leaguer Jo Adell is heading to Cleveland after six years with the Angels.
Though 2026 hasn't been as prolific as his 37-homer campaign last year, Adell has still proven himself as a well-rounded outfielder with plus ability at the plate and in the field, exemplified in April in a stunning game when he became the first player ever to rob three home runs in the same game.
Through 111 games this season, he has 16 homers, 62 RBIs and three stolen bases with a .239/.287/.395/ slashline. Now 27, Adell was the Halos' first-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft out of high school.
With one arbitration year left, Adell isn't slated to become a free agent until 2028.
In return, the Angels will receive catching prospect Jacob Cozart. The 23-year-old swings from the left side of the plate and in Double-A this season, he's hitting .239 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. His .239/.330/.384 slashline leaves much to be desired at the dish, but the 2024 MLB Draft second-round pick out of North Carolina State is more highly touted for his defensive abilities.
Cozart is currently ranked No. 18 on the Angels' Top 30 Prospect list by MLB.
Relievers Kirby Yates, Brent Suter and Ryan Zeferjahn all traded
Three of the Halos' most established bullpen pieces are also on the move, each heading to new teams in exchange for young players.
The first of the three reliever trades came when the Angels agreed to send lefty specialist Brent Suter to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr.
Suter, 37, has pitched in parts of 11 big league seasons. In 43 appearances this season, he's thrown just over 63 innings and has a 4.12 ERA and 55 strikeouts. Always a reliable option, he figures to provide much-needed long relief for the Atlanta bullpen as they look to maintain their lead in the National League East.
Alvarez, 23, has played in 66 big league games since debuting in 2024. In that time, he hit .216 with two home runs and had 15 runs driven in. He hasn't seen playing time in the majors this season, however.
His ability to play both second and third base could provide the Angels with a useful utility option, especially if he returns to the form that made him one of the Braves' top prospects years ago.
In 2026, he's hitting .236 with two homers and 21 RBIs in 37 Triple-A games.
A few hours later, the Angels then landed two players from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Ryan Zeferjahn. In return for the 6-foot-5 righty, the Halos will get former Top 100 catching prospect Moises Ballesteros and right-handed pitcher Mason McGwire.
Zeferjahn, 28, made his big league debut in 2024 and has since appeared in 119 games for the Angels. He has a career ERA of 3.94 in 125 and 2/3 innings pitched with 166 strikeouts.
He's been at his best so far in 2026, touting a 3.66 ERA and 75 Ks in 51 and 2/3 innings.
Ballesteros debuted for the Cubs in 2025 and spent parts of 2026 both with the big league club and in Triple-A. In 79 games with Chicago, the 22-year-old hit .249 with eight homers and 34 runs driven in while splitting time behind the plate and as a designated hitter.
It's unclear exactly how the Halos will use him with two catchers already on the big league roster.
McGwire, also 22, is the son of former big league slugger Mark McGwire. He was selected in the eighth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and hasn't yet appeared higher than Single-A in the minors.
In 2026, he has a 3.64 ERA and 72 Ks in 59 and 1/3 innings pitched. Before the trade, he was ranked as Chicago's No. 18 prospect.
In their final trade of the day, the Halos sent veteran reliever Kirby Yates to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitcher Kyle Robinson.
Yates, now 39, just surpassed 100 career saves. He's a two-time All-Star and has spent 12 big league seasons with eight different teams. On the year, he has three saves in six chances and sports a 3.95 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 27 and 1/3 innings pitched.
He's one of several relievers that Pittsburgh acquired at the deadline as they continue battling for a National League Wild Card spot.
Robinson, 23, is a 2024 MLB Draft pick out of Texas Tech who has already been traded once in his young career. So far in 2026, he's pitched for four teams, with Double-A being his highest level of competition, and he has a 4.55 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched.