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José Soriano trade grades: Blue Jays pay big price to land Angels starter

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The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired right-handed starting pitcher José Soriano from the Los Angeles Angels hours ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline, the teams announced Monday. In return, the Angels will receive shortstop prospect Arjun Nimmala, outfielder Eddie Micheletti, and right-hander Angel Rivero.

Soriano, 27, has enjoyed a strong season in 2026 as a member of the Angels rotation, and he’s under team control through the 2028 season. Those multiple years of control added significantly to his trade value and explain why interim Angels general manager John Mozeliak was able to get such a substantial return. 

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Soriano joins the Blue Jays only hours after they sent ertswhile ace Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs for two prospects.

The Angels, under new leadership, get back a significant prospect haul, headlined by 20-year-old Nimmala, the No. 20 pick in the 2023 Draft. MLB Pipeline ranked him the Blue Jays’ second-best prospect, highlighting the power that “continued to show flashes of excitement, stemming from his upright right-handed stance and vicious uppercut swing,” especially considering his youth. 

This season, Nimmala has been promoted as high as Double-A, where he’s hitting .279/.355/.451. Neither Micheletti nor Rivero made Pipeline’s top 30 Blue Jays prospects. Here now are our grades for both teams.

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Blue Jays grade: B+

Soriano is exactly the Blue Jays’ type, but the deal is a pricey gamble

The Blue Jays have a type — loud stuff and less than stellar control — and Soriano fits it to a T. Whether they can help Soriano harness his stuff the same way they helped Dylan Cease remains to be seen, but Soriano aligns with what the Blue Jays do well with pitchers. That’s promising, though it does not guarantee success. (Getting Soriano away from the Angels is another reason to think there’s another level here.)

Toronto enters play Monday 4 ½ games behind the third wild card spot with six teams ahead of them. Soriano will boost the team’s slim postseason odds this year, but this trade is geared more toward the future, given his remaining team control. Here is the Blue Jays’ 2027 rotation depth chart using only players under contract or team control beyond this season:

  1. RHP Dylan Cease
  2. RHP José Soriano
  3. RHP Trey Yesavage
  4. RHP Cody Ponce (rehabbing from ACL surgery)
  5. RHP José Berríos (out until second half with Tommy John surgery)
  6. RHP Bowden Francis (will miss first few weeks with Tommy John surgery)
  7. RHP Jake Bloss

The Blue Jays have a ton of money coming off the books after this season (Gausman, George Springer, Daulton Varsho, etc.) and can make a play for a free agent starter to slot into the top half of that rotation. Given how aggressive they’ve been in free agency the last few offseasons, I would expect them to make a serious run at Tarik Skubal.

It’s a hefty price for Soriano, whose value to the Blue Jays in 2026 is minimal given their place in the standings. These next two months will be a runway to work with him on whatever adjustments Toronto has in mind, continuing with them into the offseason, then preparing to fully launch in 2027. A pricey gamble, but a smart one.

Angels grade: A

The Angels cashed in on Soriano’s breakout season and got one of baseball’s top infield prospects

Barring a surprise blockbuster (always possible on deadline day), Nimmala will be the best prospect traded at the deadline this year. He’s a consensus to 40-ish prospect in baseball, one who reached Double-A as a 20-year-old this season. Nimmala has the talent to be an impact player at an up-the-middle position. The Angels needed a true stud prospect to trade Soriano and they got one.

Micheletti, 24, is a bat-first player hitting .251/.347/.454 in Double-A. There are enough secondary skills (defense, baserunning, etc.) to carve out a career as a lefty platoon bat. Rivero, 19, is a rookie ball lottery ticket with good strike-throwing ability and a 95 mph heater. He’s a long-term development project. Nimmala alone makes this an A haul for the Angels. The other guys are gravy.

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Sports

5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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3 August 2026

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.

#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.

#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.

#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.