The Angels finally did something that looked like selling on Wednesday. They sent catcher Logan O’Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers for a 19-year-old infielder named Angel Arredondo. It was a small deal, essentially a lottery ticket for two guys who could help a contender. But it confirmed one thing: interim GM John Mozeliak is willing to move controllable players for future pieces. That’s the first real sign of a direction. Now he needs to follow it with something bigger.
The obvious next chip is left-hander Reid Detmers. And the team that makes the most sense as a trade partner is the Chicago Cubs.
Why Detmers Is the Move
Detmers is 27, left-handed and under team control through 2028. He’s making $2.625 million this year. That’s not a rental price. That’s three playoff runs for whoever gets him. His numbers this season — a 3-7 record with a 4.03 ERA — don’t tell the story. He’s struck out 136 guys in 22 starts with a 1.10 WHIP. His FIP sits at 3.36, which suggests the surface numbers are mostly bad luck and bad defense behind him. His slider generates whiffs at an elite rate. That’s the kind of pitch that plays in October.
The Cubs are 61-47 after a tight 3-2 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday night. They’re in the thick of the National League playoff race but could use another reliable starter, especially one with swing-and-miss stuff. Chicago has already shown interest in Detmers, according to league sources. So this isn’t a made-up fit. It’s a real possibility.
The Ask Should Be Owen Ayers
If the Angels are serious about building a real future, they need to target Cubs catching prospect Owen Ayers. The switch-hitter has torn through three levels this season, moving from High-A to Triple-A while posting a 1.054 OPS with 23 home runs over 85 minor-league games. MLB Pipeline ranks him as Chicago’s No. 3 prospect. The Athletic has already floated him as a natural target for an Angels system desperate for a long-term catcher.
A straight swap — Detmers for Ayers — hurts. It would cost the Angels two additional years of a starter who’s figured things out. But Ayers gives them an impact bat at a premium position with a fresh clock on his control. And the Cubs have enough catching depth at the big-league level with Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya to make the deal without creating a hole on their own roster.
The O’Hoppe-Silseth trade opened a door. Actually walking through it means turning Detmers into a piece that reshapes the next few years. Otherwise the Angels are just moving parts around a losing team again. That’s not a rebuild. That’s just noise.
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