Jose Soriano trade destinations: Cubs, Blue Jays and 6 contenders in the mix

If you saw Jose Soriano's 2026 breakout coming, you're a liar. While the Angels star had plenty of potential heading into this season — and some filthy stuff at that — he also had a 4.26 ERA last season. And not to insult the Angels, but this is a team going nowhere fast. Los Angeles is more likely to sell at the trade deadline than make the playoffs, which is where this article comes into play.

It's never too early to look ahead to Aug. 3 deadline. As we near Memorial Day, some contenders have already established themselves, while several would-be playoff teams have fired their managers (looking at you, Boston and Philadelphia). Assuming the Angels are out of the AL West race by early August, expect Soriano's name to at least be floated in trade chatter. If the Angels are serious about moving him, they'll have no shortage of suitors.

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are not a contender as of this writing. Boston fired longtime manager Alex Cora over the weekend in a shocking move. They also parted ways with five other members of his coaching staff. This is Craig Breslow's team, and if the Red Sox don't turn things around, he'll feel the heat this winter.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox placed ace Garrett Crochet on the injured list. Beyond Crochet, though, the Red Sox rotation depth is a question mark. Adding a pitcher like Soriano alongside Crochet would change the Red Sox outlook both this season and beyond. The good news for Boston is that Soriano is under contract beyond this season. Thus, even if the Red Sox fail to make the postseason in 2026, they'll be set up well to make a run in 2027, barring a lockout.

Add in the likes of Brayan Bello and Connelly Early, and all of a sudden the Red Sox would possess one of the best pitching staffs in the American League.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays were bit by the injury bug early this season, and no aspect of their AL pennant-winning team was more impacted than the starting rotation. Now that some of these starting pitchers are starting to return, the outlook is far more optimistic. However, those same injured pitchers could suffer setbacks, and there's no harm in adding an AL Cy Young frontrunner to the mix.

While the Jays have plenty of talent in their rotation in the likes of Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage and Kevin Gausman, none have been as dominant as Soriano so far this season. The Jays have a 4.21 team ERA so far this year. That's not good enough.

Other starting pitchers like Max Scherzer and Jose Berrios could contribute during the stretch run when healthy, as well. Winning in the AL East is no easy task, as Toronto's rivals possess some of the best lineups in baseball.

Philadelphia Phillies

I wouldn't recommend the Phillies trade some of their top prospects, namely Aidan Miller, for Soriano, but this is Dave Dombrowski we're talking about. Dombrowski is fresh off firing manager Rob Thomson thanks to the Phillies brutal start. They have the worst run differential in MLB by a wide margin, and the rotation is partially to blame for that. Through nearly 30 games, the Phillies have a team ERA of 4.95, good for third worst in baseball.

Soriano, who is 5-1 with a 0.84 ERA so far this season, would go a long way in fixing those issues. Yet, Soriano alone will not make the Phillies a contender. It's about time some of their usual suspects start performing up to par as well.

Andrew Painter doesn't make the cut in the table above, but he's also a key member of this Phillies rotation. Painter's development could make or break Philadelphia's season, as any contending team must go at least six starting pitchers deep to reach their ultimate goal, and the Phils have dug themselves quite the hole.

Houston Astros

If you thought the Phillies rotation was bad through the first 30 games, look away. The Houston Astros have the worst team ERA in MLB, coming in at a staggering 5.96. The Astros competitive window is closing quickly, and they lost ace Framber Valdez this past winter. Many of the usual stars the Astros could count on in moments like these — such as Alex Bregman, Justin Verlander and Kyle Tucker — are no longer on the roster.

If the Astros are going to retool on the fly, they should start with the rotation. This pitching staff is a mess. Soriano alone won't fix their issues, but the rotation looks a lot better with him in it.

All three of Brown, Imai and Javier are on the injured list, and it's unclear when they'll return. Add in that trading with a division rival is always more expensive, and it's unlikely Houston can pull such a move off with one of the worst-rated farm systems in MLB. Still, it's worth a shot.

Baltimore Orioles

Another season, another year of the Baltimore Orioles searching for their true ace. While Corbin Burnes served in that role back in 2024, Mike Elias has yet to permanently replace him, despite an overpay for Shane Baz.

Baltimore is all-in, as they should be with Gunnar Henderson nearing free agency in just a few short years. The Orioles once had the best farm system in baseball. Now that most of those players have graduated from prospect status, it's time for the O's to put it all together. Adding an ace like Soriano would go a long way in achieving that goal.

There's a reason three AL East teams made this list, and it's exactly what I mentioned above. The division is a gauntlet, and the Orioles pitching staff is forced to face some of the best lineups in baseball on a weekly basis. With Soriano included, the O's have a formidable rotation that should help them reach the postseason.

Chicago Cubs

Prior to the start of the 2026 MLB season, the Cubs pitching staff looked stacked, especially after trading for Edward Cabrera. However, once the games started, the Cubs received bad news in the form of Tommy John surgery for Cade Horton, and several injury setbacks to Justin Steele. As a result, they could be forced to act at the MLB trade deadline.

The Cubs are in first place in a loaded NL Central, where almost every team is above .500. Yet, Chicago's team ERA is 4.01, a few ticks above where it should be given the talent in their rotation. The addition of Soriano, were Jed Hoyer to pull the trigger, would go a long way in helping the Cubs compete with the likes of the Dodgers and Braves in the National League.

The table above does not include Steele, who should return at some point this season. If Steele returns to his old form, you can safely slot him in near the top of the rotation alongside Soriano and Boyd.

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