Angels insider sees Jorge Soler as key slugging solution "when Mike Trout is out, Taylor Ward is cold," even with Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe in lineup

Jorge Soler was a surprise addition to the Angels in the offseason. With Mike Trout ready to take up the designated hitter role to reduce injuries, the acquisition of Soler didn't make sense for many. However, an Angels insider sees Soler providing the Halos with much-needed help.

Despite criticism against the Angels for trading Griffin Canning to the Braves for Soler, insider Jon Frisch seemed to know why the Halos went for the 2021 World Series MVP. [8:24]

"Why did the Angels make this move? I think it's purely for power. The Angels' slugging percentage, meaning the percentage of times they get extra-base hits like doubles, triples, and home runs — ranked third to last in the league, only above the Rays and the White Sox," Frisch said.

The insider noted the team's collective slugging percentage to be .385 in March and April, which went to .410 in May, .382 in June, .328 in July, .356 in August, and .349 in September. [9:09]

"So the Angels are missing that pop, and when Mike Trout is out and injured, and Taylor Ward's on a cold streak, and Joe Adell is figuring things out at the plate, you don't have a lot of slugging power to go around," Frisch said.

The insider noted the presence of talented youngsters on the roster who could get contact and steal bases but concluded that Soler would be the solution to the team's slugging struggles in the absence of Trout and others, due to injury or other reasons. [9:27]

"Zack Netto, of course, and Logan O'Hoppy can hit for some, but at the end of the day, having a bat like this I think is really important. I'll get into that in a second. We talk about an impact bat, somebody who strikes fear into the heart of the pitcher. With the Angels' slugging percentage being down, I think that Soler is going to help bring that back up," Frisch said.

Insider sees Jorge Soler helping Taylor Ward like Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani did

Frisch made an interesting comparison to show how Soler could do great work for the Los Angeles Angels. The insider took the example of Ward, who benefitted from Trout and Ohtani in the lineup when the latter was with the Halos. [10:19]

"We’ve seen it in the past when he’s [Taylor Ward] healthy, and he’s surrounded by the likes of Mike Trout or previously Shohei Ohtani. Ward's not the threat in the lineup; those guys are," Frisch said.

I think [Jorge] Soler is that kind of guy, and if you make a mistake to Soler, he’s gonna make you pay for it. I think it hides guys like Taylor Ward," he added.

How the Angels will incorporate Soler in the lineup remains to be seen, particularly when Trout returns from injury. At 32, Soler is not the same slugger who homered 48 times for the Kansas City Royals in 2019. Nonetheless, the Angels would hope to get at least 20 to 30 homers out of the Cuban superstar.