New Angels Power Hitter Has Direct Response on How to Make Halos Competitive

New Angels Slugger Offers Straightforward Take on How Halos Can Gain Relevance

The Los Angeles Angels are on a winning streak, with the offense heating up and the pitching staff keeping them competitive. However, the team’s season overall has been more underwhelming than promising.

Designated hitter Jorge Soler, acquired in a trade during the offseason, brings with him experience from a World Series win with the Atlanta Braves, where he was named World Series MVP.

When asked what the Angels need to do to achieve long-term success, similar to the Braves, Soler didn’t mince words.

“Invest,” Soler told Sam Blum of The Athletic. “You see the Braves, they have a lot of money for contracts.”

Soler’s remarks echo a sentiment many fans have expressed for years, calling on the team to spend more on free agents and improve the overall quality of the roster.

Jorge Soler clears the bases and walks it off for the Angels! 👏

(via @mlbespanol)pic.twitter.com/HtlLIqlRz7

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 8, 2025

Ron Washington, who was part of the Braves coaching staff, believes the Angels are heading in the right direction, but he emphasized that rebuilding takes time.

“You need players,” Washington said. “… It takes time. It’ll take about three years before you start seeing big-time improvement. These past couple years, I think we’ve been trying to get it right.”

While the Braves have a payroll of $211 million, the Angels are just behind at $203 million. The key difference, however, is that the Braves have spread their spending more effectively across the roster.

In contrast, the Angels have allocated large portions of their payroll to Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, two players who have struggled with injuries. Trout, while still effective, no longer justifies his hefty salary of over $30 million per season. The Rendon contract has been an even bigger drain on the team’s finances.

These two expensive deals have limited the Angels’ flexibility, preventing them from re-signing younger players like Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe to long-term, cost-effective contracts. Instead, they may be forced to either pay top dollar to keep these players or risk losing them.

The team needs to continue investing, but also adopt a more efficient spending approach, similar to the Braves and other successful franchises—locking up young stars early and avoiding overpaying for aging veterans.