The Chicago Cubs are still figuring out whether they’re buyers or sellers at the August 3 trade deadline. But one thing is clear: they need starting pitching. And the Los Angeles Angels have two arms that fit the bill — righty José Soriano and lefty Reid Detmers.
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Cubs have been poking around the entire starting pitching market. The Angels make sense as a potential partner because they’re looking for something Chicago has: a young catcher.
That catcher is Owen Ayers, the Cubs’ No. 10 prospect per Keith Law. Ayers is 25, started the season in High A, and is now at Triple A. The Angels, per someone briefed on their talks, are interested in a young backstop. So the pieces kind of fit.
What the Cubs Would Get in Soriano or Detmers
Detmers is 27 with a 4.05 ERA and 136 strikeouts over 21 starts this season. Soriano, also 27, has a 3.43 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 21 games. Both are under team control for two more years after this one, which drives up their price.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today went on Foul Territory and said the asking price might actually be higher for Detmers than for a guy like Tarik Skubal. That’s not nothing. Skubal is a frontline starter when healthy. But Detmers has multiple years of control, so teams pay a premium for that.
“Now with Detmers and Soriano, you still got them for two years after this, so it’s going to be a high price tag,” Nightengale said. “Some people think you might have to pay more for Detmers than you would, you know, a Skubal per se… But I think the Angels have got to listen to see if they can move those guys…”
The Angels’ Rebuilding Math
If the Angels are serious about rebuilding their farm system, moving Detmers or Soriano makes sense. They’d get a young catcher with upside in Ayers plus probably another piece. For Chicago, adding a controllable starter who isn’t a rental gives them rotation stability beyond just this season.
Neither Soriano nor Detmers is an ace. But the Cubs aren’t necessarily looking for one ace. They’re looking for someone who can take the ball every fifth day and give them a chance. Both of those guys can do that.
Whether the Angels actually trade either pitcher before August 3 remains to be seen. But the Cubs are definitely making calls.
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