Jorge Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP for the Braves, is headed back to Atlanta.
The 32-year-old outfielder/designated hitter was acquired by Atlanta from the San Francisco Giants on Monday in a four-player trade.
Right-handed reliever Luke Jackson, another key member of the Braves’ title-winning 2021 club, also returns to Atlanta. San Francisco received left-hander Tyler Matzek and minor league infielder Sabin Ceballos.
Soler joined the Giants on a three-year, $42 million deal as a free agent in February. During his lone partial season in San Francisco, he hit .240 with a .330 on-base percentage, a .419 slugging percentage, 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 93 games.
An All-Star in 2023 with the Miami Marlins, Soler won a World Series ring with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 before earning another with Atlanta. In 11 major league seasons with Chicago (2014-16), the Kansas City Royals (2017-21), Atlanta (2021), the Marlins (2022-23) and San Francisco (2024), Soler has a career .243/.330/.462 batting line with 182 homers and 492 RBIs in 963 games.
The Braves first acquired Soler from Kansas City at the 2021 trade deadline.
In the 2021 World Series against the Houston Astros, Soler hit .300 for the Braves with three homers and six RBIs. Jackson made three scoreless appearances in that series, pitching a total of 3 2/3 innings.
Jackson, 32, struggled this year in his second season with the Giants, going 4-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 36 outings. In nine major league seasons with the Texas Rangers (2015-16), Atlanta (2017-21) and San Francisco (2023-24), he owns a 22-10 record with 19 saves and a 4.23 ERA in 322 games, all in relief.
Matzek, 33, has been on the injured list since early May due to an elbow ailment. He had no decisions and a 9.90 ERA in 11 relief outings for Atlanta this season as he came back after missing all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery.
In 168 career games (24 starts) for the Colorado Rockies (2014-15) and Braves (2020-22, 2024), he has a 16-21 record with one save and a 3.72 ERA.
Ceballos, 21, was batting .259/.353/.354 with three homers and 30 RBIs in 84 games for high Class-A Rome this year.
–Field Level Media
