The Angels’ decision to start selling has already put a few names in play, and the latest move only sharpens the picture. On Wednesday, Los Angeles sent reliever Chase Silseth and Logan O'Hoppe to the Texas Rangers for infield prospect Angel Arredondo. With the Angels sitting among the worst teams in the league, that deal should hardly be the last one they make before the deadline.
That matters for the Blue Jays, too. Toronto is expected to sell as well, but it still makes sense for Ross Atkins to keep a close watch on Anaheim. The reason is simple: the Angels have several players under team control who could fit the Blue Jays’ roster now and beyond this season.
The three names that stand out are José Soriano, Reid Detmers, and Zach Neto.
Soriano and Detmers are the obvious pitching fits. Toronto has its own trade chips on the mound, including Shane Bieber, Kevin Gausman, and Max Scherzer, but if the Blue Jays are going to add arms, there’s real logic in targeting someone who isn’t just a rental. Soriano and Detmers both check that box.
Soriano is under team control through the 2028 season, and the 27-year-old right-hander has put together a strong year for the Angels. He owns a 9-6 record with a 3.29 ERA and 127 strikeouts. At 6-foot-3 and in his prime, he would give Toronto a rotation option with both present value and long-term appeal.
Detmers brings a similar kind of upside. Also 27 and signed through the 2028 season, the 6-foot-2 left-hander has logged a 3-7 record, a 4.03 ERA, and 145 strikeouts in 22 appearances this season. A former first-round pick, he would give the Blue Jays another arm worth betting on as they try to get things turned around next season.
Then there’s Neto, who could solve a different problem entirely. The 25-year-old shortstop is under team control through the 2029 season, which gives him a much longer runway than most deadline targets. If Toronto wanted to make a move that strengthened the middle of the diamond for the long haul, Neto would be the kind of player worth pursuing.
He has hit 19 home runs with 46 RBI and a .232 batting average in 106 games this season. Last year, he posted 26 home runs, 26 stolen bases, 62 RBI, and a .257 batting average in 128 games. That kind of production, paired with his age and control, is exactly why he belongs on Toronto’s radar.
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Philadelphia is among the teams looking to upgrade in the outfield, along with help in the bullpen and starting rotation, and Varsho fits the mold of a player who could draw serious interest if Toronto listens. He has not put together a dominant year at the plate, but his combination of glove work and power potential gives him a different kind of value than a more ordinary rental, which is exactly why his market could get interesting as the deadline approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Suddenly Have Several Familiar Names In Trade Danger
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Toronto has plenty of those kinds of players, which is why the rumor mill has picked up around this group in particular. The front office still has to sort out which veterans fit into the long view and which ones might be better used to replenish the system, and that decision tree could get complicated fast if the market keeps forming around the Blue Jays' most recognizable names. [Read more 🡒]