El Crudo Returns: Jorge Soler Traded to the Atlanta Braves

By Albert Harris III

Braves fans get a blast from a recent past as the Atlanta Braves acquire Designated Hitter/Outfielder Jorge Soler and Right Hand Pitcher Luke Jackson  from the San Francisco Giants via trade in exchange for Left Handed Pitcher Tyler Matzek and 3rd basemen Sabin Ceballos. Ceballos was the Braves no.17 prospect in their farm system as both teams got decent assets for their needs. 

The centerpiece of the deal was Jorge Soler, who was electric for the Braves in their postseason run back in 2021 which led him to win World Series MVP as their lead-off hitter. His homerun in Game 6 of the World Series is still known as one of the most iconic moments in Atlanta sports history as the Braves hope that this power is still there for the 32-year old. The Braves expect him to fill that lead-off role which is a desperate need for them at the moment and the major reasons for the trade taking place. They also get him at a much better performance than they got him back in 2021 as he’s currently batting .240 with 12 home runs and a .749 OPS compared to a .190 AVG/13 HR/.655 OPS he was averaging when the Braves acquired him around the trade deadline in their World Series run.  

The Braves are expected to pay Soler $28 million dollars through the end of the 2026 season, including 2 million dollars this season and $13 million dollars for both the 2025 and 2026 season respectively. Soler joins an outfield of Adam Duvall, Jared Kelenic, Ramon Laureano, and Eddie Rosario along with Michael Harris who is currently injured. The Braves hope that this move can spark another postseason run and get this team back to being World Series Champions like they were the last time Soler was there.