Cardinals linked to trade for 3.88 ERA Angels starter with three other MLB clubs

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Cardinals linked to trade for 3.88 ERA Angels starter with three other MLB clubs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the 2026 MLB season as a team in the first year of a rebuild. But JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker have helped make this team a legitimate postseason contender.

At 44-39, the Cardinals currently own a Wild Card spot, and while their -10 run differential is a little worrying, this team has reason to buy at the MLB trade deadline. If they do, their trade target is very clear: starting pitching.

That's why ESPN's David Schoenfield linked the Cardinals as a trade suitor for 3.88 ERA Los Angeles Angels lefty starter Reid Detmers. But, there's one issue: three other teams were all linked to Detmers as a trade target this summer.

Cardinals linked to trade for Reid Detmers, along with three other MLB teams​

"St. Louis Cardinals/Washington Nationals/Arizona Diamondbacks/Athletic: Trade for Detmers," Schoenfield writes. "... They all need rotation help, and though they don't necessarily feel like playoff teams, they're all in the playoff chase, with the Cardinals leading the way."

Since the Cardinals, Nationals, D-Backs, and Athletics all could use starting pitching help, but aren't a team that would target a rental like Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, or Robbie Ray, someone under club control for a while longer makes more sense.

Detmers, the 26-year-old left-handed pitcher for the Angels, is under club control through the 2028 season. That gives the Cardinals, or any team that trades for Detmers, a little over two years of control.

This season, across 17 starts, Detmers has a 3.88 ERA with a 3-5 record and 1.6 bWAR with 112 strikeouts in 99.2 innings pitched.

MORE: 3 reasons why Braves are perfect fit for Tarik Skubal at MLB trade deadline

During June, Detmers posted a 2.27 ERA with a 2.89 FIP, showcasing the potential to be a team's frontline starter. It would make perfect sense for the Cardinals to add Detmers this summer.

He could help them contend in 2026, and more importantly, he would factor into their rotation for the next two years as well.

Detmers will cost a good amount in a trade with the Angels due to this control, but for a team like the Cardinals, seeking more starting pitching, a deal for Detmers would make a lot of sense.

But, with Schoenfield also linking the A's, Diamondbacks, and Nationals as trade suitors for the lefty starter, it might not be easy to acquire Detmers. Chaim Bloom should still try, as Detmers might be the best trade target for the Cardinals this summer.

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