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MLB teams in need of a left-handed starter for the postseason push are looking to Orange County.
Angels LHP Reid Detmers upped his trade value in his last start, blanking the Tigers for six innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a single batter. That it ultimately ended in a 2-1 Angels loss was the icing on the cake.
L.A. is the worst team in baseball. Its 39-61 record is dead-last in the majors. The team is well out of the AL West chase, with leaders scraping to stay above .500.
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So with two weeks to go until the August 3 trade deadline, the Angels are, once again, sellers. And Detmers is a key dangle for contenders looking to bolster a rotation.
After three seasons as a starter for the Angels, the team used Detmers 61 times out of the bullpen in 2025. He posted a 3.96 ERA but was moved back into the rotation for 2026.
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Things have clicked for the 27-year-old left-hander. He has a 4.16 ERA in 20 starts, with a career-best .218 average allowed and 1.12 WHIP. His strikeout rate (10.2/9 innings) is his best, as well.
Detmers' underlying numbers shine even brighter, including a 2.80 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching). He’s delivered a few absolute gems, including an eight-inning one-hit, 14-strikeout performance vs. the Rangers and a seven-inning, one-hit, nine-K outing vs. the Astros.
He’s also affordable and under team control through 2028, making him even more enticing for teams looking to add an arm.
Angels owner Arte Moreno has been resistant to green-lighting young controllable pieces like Detmers, favoring retention for a potential window. MLB insiders argue that trading him could net the deadline's biggest prospect haul, strengthening one of MLB’s weakest farm systems.
Teams Interested In Reid Detmers
Detmers represents a high-upside, cost-controlled lefty with breakout traits. If the Angels pivot to a teardown, he headlines their market; otherwise, he anchors the rotation.
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So, who may pull the trigger on a Reid Detmers trade?
Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers have one of the top 1-2 punches in baseball with Jacob Misiorowski and Kyle Harrison. But the No. 3 spot is open after big injuries to other top arms.
Chicago White Sox – The Sox have made the postseason just twice in the last 17 years, but they currently hold a one-game lead over the Guardians in the AL Central. Starting pitching depth remains a major concern after Sean Burke and Davis Martin. Successful postseason teams need three reliable starters.
New York Yankees – The pinstripes have the best staff ERA in baseball, but injury concerns to LHPs Max Fried and Carlos Rodon – and you never know about Gerrit Cole – make them arms buyers at the deadline.
Chicago Cubs – The Cubs have struggled with starter health and durability. Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera are both sidelined to mid-August. They're in hot pursuit of the Brewers in the NL Central while also sitting atop a crowded and competitive NL Wild Card race.
Arizona Diamondbacks – The D-backs are right in the mix in the NL Wild Card chase, battling with the Pirates and Cardinals. Their No. 2 starter Mike Soroka is on the shelf, while Corbin Burnes (elbow) remains uncertain for a possible September return.
