Padres should look past José Soriano in potential Angels trade talks

If the Padres engaged in trade talks with the Angels, who are looking to sell some talent, it would be easy to say that José Soriano is the easy answer. He owns the shinier ERA, has the 97 mph sinker and turns ground balls into a recurring event. Put that profile in front of a Padres team searching for starting pitching and the attraction is obvious.

But they should pursue Reid Detmers instead. The Padres need to look deeper here. Soriano has been excellent enough to command attention, but Detmers offers the better combination of strikeouts, command, handedness and ballpark fit. He’s the Angels starter better equipped to help the Padres survive the next two months and stabilize its rotation beyond them.

The numbers favor Reid Detmers in potential Padres-Angels trade

After his nine-strikeout outing against Houston on July 28, Detmers owns a 3-7 record with a 4.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 125 innings. He’s also struck out 145 batters while issuing only 38 walks.

Soriano entered July 29 at 9-6 with a 3.29 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 123 innings. He has recorded 127 strikeouts and 57 walks.

In simpler terms: Detmers has 18 more strikeouts and 19 fewer walks in two additional innings. That should be the “it” for the argument.

Soriano’s velocity is intoxicating. At times, he’s looked unhittable. He opened the season by allowing six earned runs over his first seven starts and winning AL Pitcher of the Month honors in April.

Then the walks returned. Soriano has posted a 4.90 ERA over his 14 outings following that ridiculous start, and his 57 free passes are the warning sign. His stuff is still very loud. So is the command risk.

Detmers has finally quieted that part of his game. After spending last season in the bullpen, he returned to the Angels’ rotation with improved control and the same swing-and-miss arsenal that once made him a top-10 draft pick. His fastball-slider combination misses barrels, and his curveball and changeup give him enough secondary offerings to work through a lineup multiple times.

A 4.03 ERA doesn’t scream prize acquisition. His strikeout-to-walk ratio approaching four-to-one shows us the potential.

Reid Detmers’ biggest weakness would be less concerning at Petco Park

Detmers has been vulnerable to home runs, including a rough stretch this month. It should actually scare the Padres less than most teams. 

Petco Park won’t erase every mistake that leaks out over the plate, but it offers a more forgiving environment for fly-ball pitchers. And pitchers can survive solo shots if the traffic is limited. Detmers has done a nice job keeping the bases clear.

Detmers would also bring some desperately needed left-handed balance, but the larger benefit is how his arrival would clarify everyone else’s job. JP Sears deserves credit. He has given the Padres useful innings since returning from Triple-A. Craig Stammen has discovered a role that suits him: shorter assignments, favorable matchups and limited exposure to a lineup. Sears and Randy Vásquez recently combined for six innings of one-run ball in Miami, providing a perfect example of how this unconventional arrangement can work. Both pitchers have held their own in shorter bursts, even after struggling as traditional starters.

That makes Sears more valuable. But the Padres still need more help. Detmers would arrive without needing the same protection. He can take the ball every fifth day, work through a lineup multiple times and give them a third conventional starter alongside King and Buehler. Meanwhile, Sears, Vásquez and the Padres’ other multi-inning options could continue piggybacking without being stretched beyond the roles in which they have been effective.

The money barely matters between the two. Detmers is earning $2.625 million this season, while Soriano is making $2.9 million. Both fit comfortably into San Diego’s budget. Both would cost significant prospect capital because the Angels have no reason to discount multiple seasons of control.

That brings us to the line the Padres cannot cross. The Angels reportedly want young position players, including left-handed power and possibly catching help. Ethan Salas checks those boxes so cleanly that his name would probably come up within the first minute of a serious conversation.

The Padres just promoted Salas to Triple-A, and there could be more to it as the deadline approaches. 

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