Four days out from Monday’s trade deadline, the Angels are still sitting in the middle of a market that could move fast once the biggest names start to shake loose. The Chase Silseth and Logan O’Hoppe trade to the Rangers for a 19-year-old prospect was the first domino, and now the focus is on what comes next as the rest of the league waits on the final wave of bidding.
A lot of this market may hinge on Tarik Skubal. The Tigers’ direction is still unsettled, and whether Skubal becomes available could ripple through the trade picture, especially for Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano. For now, the Angels are working with a handful of players who are drawing real interest and could be on the move before the deadline hits.
Detmers has been one of the most talked-about names. The White Sox have been connected to him for some time, and this week the Cubs were said to be involved as well. That sets up a possible tug-of-war between the two Chicago clubs, with Angels GM John Mozeliak in position to squeeze the best return while they try to land the left-hander and keep him away from their crosstown rival.
A White Sox package could include the kind of young catcher the Angels want. The Cubs can also put together offers that would help. Either way, Detmers’ market sounds like one that may not settle until the last possible moment.
His recent usage only adds to the sense that his time in Anaheim could be ending. With off days in the schedule, his next start would be Monday.
He was lifted after 84 pitches in a tie game on Tuesday night, then after 85 pitches in a one-run game in his previous outing. The signs point to that being his final start as an Angel.
Zach Neto may be the most attractive position player available. Boston has been linked to him for weeks, and the Red Sox could send back highly regarded starter Anthony Eyanson and more. Boston’s system is deep, and the Angels would have plenty of reason to target that kind of return.
Tampa Bay has also entered the picture. The Rays have a reputation for developing talent as well as anyone, and they have a catcher they could offer along with projectable pitching. At the same time, they also have a track record of winning trades, which makes any deal with them a tricky one to navigate.
Soriano sits in a different spot than Detmers, but the appeal is similar. He is under team control for two full seasons beyond 2026, and the speculation around him is growing louder.
Unlike Detmers, though, there have not been any clear suitors named yet. Pretty much every playoff team could use him, and Milwaukee stands out as a possible fit, with a deal centered on Jeferson Quero and Josh Adamczewski described as a strong outcome for both sides.
His next turn in the rotation would normally come Saturday night, which makes his status worth watching closely. The Angels would be smart to keep him off the mound, but they could also let him work a few innings if they want to give interested teams one last look.
Jo Adell is another name to watch, even if his season has not matched last year’s. Right-handed power is hard to find around the league, and Philadelphia is the only known team tied to him so far. A reunion with Brandon Marsh would give the move some built-in storyline, and Adell’s opposite-field power could fit well in that ballpark.
Cleveland and Tampa Bay are also possible landing spots for Adell. Both clubs have strong pitching but need more thump, especially on the grass. If the Angels could land a young catcher from Cleveland, that would likely be their best-case scenario.
Then there’s Ryan Zeferjahn, who has turned himself into a high-leverage reliever after adding a sweeper and reshaping his pitch mix. He comes with four seasons of control remaining, which makes him an unusual trade candidate for a reliever. But relievers can change value quickly, and Mozeliak has to decide whether Zeferjahn is at peak trade value or someone worth keeping as part of the bullpen’s future.
The deadline is closing in, and the Angels still have plenty of moving parts. More updates are coming as the market develops.
In Other News...
Angels Just Made A Shocking AL West Trade Fans Wont Ignore
A quiet day in the Angels orbit turned into a jolt when Texas swung a deal for Logan OHoppe and Chase Silseth, two players who had been part of the clubs longer-term picture. OHoppe, once viewed as a potential core piece, still carries power upside even after a down year and the wrist fracture that slowed him, while Silseth had settled in as an effective relief arm this season after moving out of the rotation.
For the Angels, the part that stands out is not just the names going out, but the fact that both players were under control beyond 2026, which makes this feel like more than a simple deadline-style shuffle. The Rangers are pushing to fortify a first-place AL West roster, and the Angels now have to explain why they were willing to move two controllable pieces from a team that still has plenty of questions about where it is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Sent A Chilling Deadline Message With Logan OHoppe
A move like this is the kind of thing that gets attention around a deadline, especially when it involves a catcher the Angels had control of beyond this season. Logan O'Hoppe had been part of the clubs longer-term picture, and sending him out with right-handed reliever Chase Silseth suggests the front office is willing to rethink more than just the margins of the roster.
It also stands out as one of the first decisions for Angels executive John Mozeliak, and it may say something about where the team is headed in the weeks ahead. With O'Hoppe gone, the catching picture changes quickly, and the deal leaves open the bigger question of whether this is the start of a broader shift in how the Angels approach the deadline and the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Another Angels Pitching Gamble Just Reached A Frustrating End
Alek Manoahs latest stop in the Angels organization ended in Salt Lake, where the right-hander was working with Triple-A affiliate before the club moved on from him. It was the kind of low-risk pitching bet the Angels have made often enough, hoping a once-promising arm could find something in a new setting and provide depth for a staff that has needed it.
Instead, Manoahs brief big league run in Anaheim never got off the ground, and the club now has to keep piecing together a rotation around Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, Grayson Rodriguez, Ryan Johnson and Walbert Urena. Yusei Kikuchi is nearing a return, while Jack Kochanowicz is out for the year, so the Angels are still balancing immediate innings against longer-term stability as they try to finish out 2026. [Read more 🡒]