The Cubs need pitching, and the Angels need catching. That simple fit could be enough to get something done before the MLB trade deadline.
Los Angeles is expected to have two starting pitchers in play over the next week-plus: Reid Detmer and Jose Soriano. Neither one sits in the superstar tier, but both have turned in encouraging breakout 2026 seasons.
Detmer brings one of the league’s nastiest sliders, and his breaking balls could play even better in front of Chicago’s elite defense. Soriano offers a high groundball rate and a fastball that lives in the high-90s, giving him a different kind of appeal even though he has cooled off after a blazing start to 2026.
Both pitchers are under team control through 2029, which makes them attractive long-term targets for a Cubs rotation that clearly needs a reset.
That kind of control won’t come cheap. But it should still cost less than going after names like Tarik Skubal, Joe Ryan, or reliever Mason Miller. That’s where the Cubs may have an edge.
A report from The Athletic this week said the Angels want a young catcher, and Chicago might have exactly the kind of prospect that could grab their attention in Owen Ayers. The 25-year-old has climbed quickly this season, rising all the way to a Top 3 spot in the organization’s prospect rankings, per MLB Pipeline. He was only promoted to Triple-A a couple of weeks ago, and he has kept hitting there, posting a .286/.400/.333 line with a .733 OPS in his first six games.
Ayers’ season has been a rapid ascent from the start. He opened in High-A, earned a Double-A promotion after just 11 games, then tore through Tennessee with a .304 average and a 1.008 OPS.
Over 65 games there, he piled up 70 hits and 48 RBIs. With production at three different levels, the surge looks real.
That doesn’t mean the Cubs are eager to move him. Ayers has become a much tougher prospect to part with, especially with the possibility of a catcher opening this offseason.
Carson Kelly could walk, which would leave Miguel Amaya and Moises Ballesteros as the next options in line for the platoon. That’s a question Chicago has to weigh carefully.
Still, the Cubs are in win-now mode, and Ayers may be viewed as a luxury they can afford to move. No one saw this kind of rise coming from the 25-year-old, which is exactly why selling high could make sense if it helps solve one of Chicago’s biggest needs.
If the Angels are willing, this is the kind of deal that can be built quickly. Ayers could be the centerpiece, and from there the rest might fall into place.
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Jose Soriano's Next Start Feels Bigger Than Just Another Angels Game
Jose Sorianos next turn on the mound comes with more weight than a routine Angels start. With the trade deadline looming, the club is taking a hard look at its pitching inventory, and Soriano is expected to get the ball in a game that can double as a showcase for teams watching from afar. The Angels have spent much of the season searching for answers on offense, which has only sharpened the sense that the organization is at least considering a broader reset.
Sorianos season has been uneven enough to keep his future from feeling settled, and Reid Detmers is in a similar spot as the deadline approaches. San Francisco will counter with Carson Whisenhunt, while the Angels are still trying to navigate a series that has already been shaped by Rafael Devers damage against their pitching. For a club weighing whether to stay the course or lean into a rebuild, this one feels like more than just another game on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A Reid Detmers Decision That Could Define The Rebuild
Reid Detmers has become one of the more interesting names in the Angels long rebuild conversation, and for good reason. He is still under contract control, he has shown enough to keep rival clubs watching, and any decision involving him would say plenty about where the Angels think they are headed and how quickly they want to add real talent back into the system.
The Dodgers pitching situation only adds another layer to the discussion, because their need for arms makes them a natural team to monitor if the Angels ever decide to move a controllable starter. On the other side, the Angels are looking for the kind of prospect infusion that can change the shape of a roster, which is why this kind of cross-town possibility has lingered as one of the more intriguing ideas around the club. [Read more 🡒]