Tarik Skubal coming off the board in a blockbuster to the Dodgers changed the entire feel of the trade market, and it left the Angels sitting on a pair of arms that suddenly look even more valuable.
Skubal had been the headliner for contenders hunting a 2026 title, and his move to Los Angeles was the kind of deal that resets expectations. Just hours later, the White Sox pulled Luis Castillo away from the Mariners, adding another big name to a market that was supposed to slow down while Detroit shopped the two-time defending Cy Young Award winner. Instead, the opposite happened: the rich got richer, and the Angels found themselves with two of the best pitchers still available.
That matters because Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano now stand at the top of the trade board among known available starters. Neither is Skubal, but both have been better this season than Freddy Peralta.
Soriano has put together a 3.29 ERA across 123 innings. He’s striking out more than a batter per inning and owns a 1.252 WHIP, while his 124 ERA+ points to front-of-the-rotation quality.
Detmers, meanwhile, has turned into a strikeout machine lately. The left-hander has 145 strikeouts in 125 innings and a 1.096 WHIP, a number that looks more like a closer’s than a starter’s.
For teams chasing a starter for the stretch run, the Angels’ two arms are now the names that matter.
Skubal’s move also sent a ripple through the left-handed pitching market. Quality lefties are the kind of weapon that can erase elite lineups in October, and Skubal was the prize in that category. With the Dodgers landing him, Reid Detmers becomes the most valuable young lefty still out there.
Detmers has had his consistency issues, but the strikeout profile is real and the underlying data remains strong. He’s already good, and there’s evidence he can keep climbing through his prime.
He’s also under control for two seasons beyond 2026, which only boosts his value. A club willing to pay a huge prospect package for three months of Skubal should be prepared to pay similarly for three postseason runs with Detmers.
Soriano’s rise has been just as timely for the Angels. This looked like the perfect year for him to break out as the club’s ace, especially with his electric stuff and Mike Maddux’s coaching.
For the first two months, that pairing looked made for each other. Soriano is still pitching well now, and he should draw plenty of interest.
There’s also a practical layer to this for the Angels. John Mozeliak scratched Soriano from his start last night, and he has also kept both Soriano and Detmers around 85 pitches in each of their last outings. That sure looks like a team positioning its arms for a move.
Detmers is scheduled to start Tuesday. Soriano is rested and ready. Any acquiring team can drop them straight into its rotation.
The list of possible suitors makes sense. Milwaukee, hungry for its first World Series, has the farm depth to make a serious run and could use a lefty to match up with Ohtani and Freeman in October, along with a stabilizing arm like Soriano.
Chicago is a big-market club with big ambitions and could use either Angels pitcher to help on the biggest stage. Atlanta needs pitching, has been flying under the radar, and sits in a strong spot in the NL East with a chance at home-field advantage through the playoffs.
Tampa Bay has one of the deepest systems around and has already been linked to Zach Neto, but the Rays could also go after a pitcher - maybe even both, though that seems unlikely.
From the Angels’ perspective, either Detmers or Soriano could bring back a catcher of the future and more. Mozeliak has said the club wants a young catcher and some left-handed power, though the reality is they need help almost everywhere. The teams in this mix could supply one or both of those asks.
A crosstown deal was never likely, even if the return the Tigers got for Skubal would have been a dream outcome for the Angels’ farm system. Nearby rivals are usually reluctant to help each other, and that won’t change here.
So now the market has shifted again, and the Angels are holding the two best chips, with Zach Neto possibly making it three. The Skubal domino has fallen. The question now is how well Mozeliak can cash in.
In Other News...
Angels Just Sent A Clear Message With The Jo Adell Move
For the Angels, moving Jo Adell is another reminder of where the organization is trying to sharpen its roster and sort out its long-term picture. Adell had flashed enough to remain an intriguing name, but the Angels clearly decided the return and the roster flexibility mattered more than waiting longer for a fuller breakout.
The deal sends a young outfielder with upside into a new spot where he is expected to help, especially against left-handed pitching, while the Angels move on with a different kind of roster calculation in mind. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to balance present needs with future control, this was the sort of move that signals a choice, even if the full meaning of it will take time to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Made A Deadline Move Fans Will Be Debating For Years
The Blue Jays spent the deadline retooling with an eye on the future, first moving Kevin Gausman to the Cubs and then turning around to add a controllable starting pitcher from the Angels. For Toronto, the appeal was clear: Jose Soriano comes with club control through the 2028 season, a rare kind of security for a team trying to stay in the mix over the next several years.
For the Angels, the move is harder to sort through because it cost them a starter who had become part of their long-term picture. In return, they picked up three players and added another layer to a deadline that signals just how much the front office was willing to reshape the roster, even if the full verdict on the deal may take years to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Neto Trade Buzz Puts The Angels Infield Future In Focus
The Angels infield picture has started to get a little more interesting, and the latest buzz circles back to Zach Neto at a time when the front office appears willing to listen. John Mozeliak has already signaled openness to offers on players, and reports of talks between the Angels and Red Sox have added fuel to a conversation that has been building around where the club wants to go with its roster.
What sharpened the speculation was a small but notable development on the other side, where top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias was scratched from his Triple-A start. It is the sort of move that can send a rumor mill into overdrive, especially when the Angels are looking at ways to shape their future in the middle of the diamond, but for now it remains only that - talk, not a completed trade. [Read more 🡒]