The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox have both shown interest in Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline on August 3, according to Mlbtraderumors.
Chicago Teams Target Angels Starter Reid Detmers
Detmers carries a 3-7 record and a 4.05 ERA across 21 starts this season. The 27-year-old southpaw is under arbitration control through the 2028 season and is playing on a $2.625 million salary, with just over $775,000 owed after the deadline. Los Angeles interim general manager John Mozeliak is overseeing a deadline where the club is more open to trading controllable players than in prior years. In addition to Detmers, rotation mate José Soriano and shortstop Zach Neto represent top trade candidates for the Halos.
Cubs Face Rotation Crunch and High Asking Price
The Cubs enter the deadline needing starting pitching reinforcements following an injury-riddled year. Key starters have spent time on the injured list, including Cade Horton, who is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Justin Steele, who faced a prolonged rehab following his own Tommy John procedure in spring 2025. Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera have also spent time on the 15-day IL, though Cabrera appears closest to a rehab stint. The club moved on from Jameson Taillon, leaving a rotation featuring Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, and David Peterson.
Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has discussed the team’s rotation need for months, and The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma predicted that the Cubs will pay an extremely high price to acquire Detmers. Sharma noted that the front office is unlikely to spend a huge price for a short-term rental, making a controllable young pitcher who misses bats a strong fit. Detmers has fanned 28% of opponents while limiting walks to a career-best 7.5% clip, striking out 136 batters in 120 innings.
White Sox Seek Rotation Depth for Playoff Push
On the other side of town, the White Sox hold a 2.5-game edge over the Guardians in the AL Central and sit two games ahead of the AL West-leading Rangers, positioning themselves for a potential first-round bye. Despite succeeding with one of the league’s younger rosters and rotations, the club is pursuing pitching depth. Sean Burke has excelled for two months, ranking third in the American League in strikeouts since June 1 behind Cam Schlittler and Dylan Cease, while Davis Martin experienced an ERA spike above 6.00 after a strong start. Back-end starters Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde round out the group alongside rookie Noah Schultz, who holds a 6.15 ERA through his first 60 big league innings.
Adding a controllable starter like Detmers would be ideal for a White Sox team ahead of schedule in its rebuild. The organization has also been linked to New York Mets right-hander Clay Holmes, who carries an impending $12 million player option, indicating openness to multi-year windows as well as impending free agents. The team also faces a short-term need for a high-leverage reliever and a stopgap catcher after losing Kyle Teel to an ankle sprain that will sideline him into September.
Recent Outings Highlight Post-Break Surge
Detmers has boosted his trade value with two strong performances coming out of the All-Star Break, combining for 11 1/3 frames of one-run ball against the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals while recording 13 strikeouts against two walks. In his recent start against St. Louis, he allowed just a solo home run to JJ Wetherholt on his 85th pitch before manager Kurt Suzuki lifted him in the sixth inning.
When asked about the constant trade speculation, Detmers told reporters he attempts to ignore social media and block out the noise. I'm here now, and I'm doing my best to help this team win to get to where we want to be, and that's all I'm focused on,
Detmers said.
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