Nationals Considered One of Four Teams That Should Trade for Angels Ace
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If the Washington Nationals continue to stay in the playoff picture ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline, then president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is going to have a tough decision to make when it comes to whether he's going to add pieces to the roster or not.
In an ideal world, the first-year executive would both acquire and ship out players to give the 2026 team a chance to make the postseason while also setting the franchise up for future success. But that is a tightrope that would have to be walked perfectly, and it's a difficult path to navigate.
However, it's clear the Nationals need more pitching if they are going to secure a spot in the playoffs. And that's why David Schoenfield of ESPN listed them among four teams that should go after Los Angeles Angels ace Reid Detmers.
Nationals, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Athletics Viewed as Reid Detmers Suitors
Detmers is a name that has come up frequently when it comes to high-end starting pitchers who could be placed on the trade block ahead of the deadline. While the Angels are stating that they have no interest in trading the left-hander or star right-handed pitcher Jose Soriano, the fact they should get back a monster haul for either of those starters is a reason why Los Angeles could eventually decide to deal one or both of them. And because Washington is in desperate need of quality arms, it's not a surprise that they are mentioned as a possible landing spot for Detmers.
He's not going to be cheap to land, though. Not only does he have a 3.88 ERA across 17 starts with a 27.6% K rate that has produced 112 strikeouts over 99 2/3 innings, but he has multiple years of club control remaining, which means the Nationals would have to ship out a few top 30 prospects to get this deal done.
But that could be worth it for Washington. They have not been spenders in free agency, which is why they are in the situation they are in right now when it comes to their pitching staff. So trading for someone like Detmers, who would be with the franchise for multiple years in his prime, would be a great way to add a cost-controlled asset.
Of course, the Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks and St. Louis Cardinals likely all feel the same way when it comes to the reason why they would acquire Detmers, so that could drive the price up if this quartet gets into a bidding war over the left-hander.
There's still some time before either of these teams have to make that decision. But if the Nationals remain in the playoff mix when that time arrives, then they'll have to seriously weigh the pros and cons of pulling off a blockbuster to bring in the Angels ace.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai