The Angels are headed toward a deadline that could define the shape of their next few seasons, and the biggest names in the conversation are a pair of breakout starters who have changed the club’s trade calculus.
Los Angeles sits at the bottom of baseball’s standings with a 38-59 record and 10 games back in the Wild Card race, so there’s no path to buying. The real question is how aggressive the club gets in selling before the August 3 deadline, especially with Perry Minasian out as general manager and John Mozeliak now serving as interim.
That uncertainty matters because, just a few weeks ago, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that owner Arte Moreno did not want Jose Soriano or Reid Detmers included in any trade talks this season. Nearly a month has passed since that report, and the front office has already changed hands.
Soriano has become the more eye-catching of the two. He made headlines early with a historic start, then settled back into something closer to earth, but he’s still been the Angels’ most valuable pitcher.
His line tells the story: a 3.49 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 2.2 bWAR, and an 8-6 record on a team that has spent most of the year struggling. He also ranks near the top of the league in ground-ball rate, whiff percentage, and pitching run value.
And because he isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season, his trade value is enormous.
Detmers has taken a different route, with his major league career marked by swings in role and performance, including a move to the bullpen in 2025. Back in the rotation this season, though, he’s put together one of his best years.
He owns a 4.39 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, leads the team with 2.7 fWAR, and has been especially dangerous with his breaking stuff, which sits in the 99th percentile in breaking run value. Like Soriano, he also remains under team control until after the 2028 season.
Whether Moreno’s stance has softened is the big unknown. It’s tough to picture him waving both pitchers out the door, but the Angels would be in a far better spot if even one of them were moved.
At this point, the deadline doesn’t need to be flashy for Los Angeles. It just needs to produce something that helps lay a foundation for what comes next.
In Other News...
Kurt Suzuki Gives Maui Little Leaguers A Special Angels Stadium Welcome
A trip to Angel Stadium turned into a memorable day for a Maui Little League team when manager Kurt Suzuki welcomed the group onto the field for batting practice and a round of meet-and-greets. The visit gave the young players a close look at big-league life, including time watching Angels hitters take swings and a chance to soak in the ballpark from the field level.
Suzuki, who wanted to give back to his home island community, helped make the stop happen after the Maui team earned its way into a major tournament in Southern California. The kids also left with autographs from several Angels players, a small but meaningful souvenir from a day that connected their baseball journey to one of their own. [Read more 🡒]
Reid Detmers Suddenly Feels Like The Angels Deadline Decision
Reid Detmers has moved from being just another arm in the Angels system to one of the more interesting deadline chips on the board. Teams calling on him know Los Angeles is trying to line up the kind of young, impact bat it has lacked, which gives the left-hander a different kind of value than a typical rental pitcher.
Interim general manager John Mozeliak may have the authority to decide whether that value gets cashed in, and the market already has a few familiar names attached to the conversation. The Braves, Brewers and Guardians have all been floated as possible partners, each with a prospect who fits the Angels preference for young hitters with power, but whether any of those talks actually turn into a deal is still the part everyone is waiting to learn. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face Franchise Defining Deadline Choice Arte Moreno Usually Avoids
With the August 3 deadline closing in, the Angels are staring at a kind of decision Arte Moreno has usually tried to avoid: weighing whether to move a young starter for future value even when the present season has already slipped away. The clubs poor performance has sharpened the conversation, and the market around pitching has only made the situation more complicated, especially with several teams still looking for help and the supply of available arms getting thinner.
What makes this one different is the long-term cost of standing still. The pitchers drawing attention are under team control through 2028, which gives the Angels more than a rental dilemma to sort through, and it also raises the bar for any return. Interim GM John Mozeliak now has to navigate not just the trade market, but the owners appetite for a move this significant, and whether Moreno is willing to break from his usual caution may end up defining the deadline. [Read more 🡒]