Reid Detmers has obviously not had the 2024 season he had hoped for. The southpaw has been throwing for the Salt Lake Bees since June, when the Angels optioned him to Triple A.
Nonetheless, he is apparently attracting trade interest from a number of teams, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who listed Detmers as one of many players made available by the Angels ahead of the deadline.
Since his MLB debut in 2021, Detmers has made 70 starts with a 4.68 ERA, 4.17 SIERA, and 5.4 Wins Above Replacement (according to FanGraphs). The southpaw appeared to have established his spot in the Angels rotation at the end of the 2022 season, when he pitched a no-hitter and an immaculate inning, concluding his rookie season with a 3.77 ERA and 4.12 SIERA in 25 starts. The following season, he led the team in starts and innings pitched, and while his ERA increased to 4.48, his SIERA of 4.14 remained much better than the league average.
Detmers had a fantastic start in 2024, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his first four games. Unfortunately, his season swiftly went off track after that. Over his next eight starts, he allowed 41 runs (40 earned) in 40 1/3 innings. His strikeout rate fell from 34.9 percent in his first four starts to 20.9 percent in his next eight; he had not allowed a single home run in his first four games, but he gave up ten in his later outings.
Detmers didn’t tolerate any more harsh contact as normal, yet his average launch angle increased by about 5 degrees. As a result, his barrel rate more than doubled. His 4.62 SIERA during that time period wasn’t particularly bad (seven qualified pitchers now have a SIERA of 4.62 or higher), but something wasn’t quite right with the 25-year-old lefty.
It was somewhat unexpected to see a team with such limited pitching depth demote a proven major leaguer after eight subpar starts. However, the last time the Angels optioned him to Triple-A during a tough spell, in June 2022, he quickly returned and thrived in the final three months of the season (3.04 ERA and 3.70 SIERA in 13 starts).
Perhaps L.A. hoped that another quick stop at Triple-A would help Detmers work things out. At the time, Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that he didn’t anticipate the move being “permanent.”
Unfortunately, Detmers has struggled greatly with Salt Lake, throwing to a 7.11 ERA and 6.04 FIP in seven starts (38 innings). Most concerningly, he has allowed 11 home runs to his minor league opponents. His stats appear better if you remove his two worst performances, but his 4.94 ERA and 4.11 FIP at Triple-A are concerning for a pitcher who is expected to be above-average in the major leagues.
All that being said, there are clearly numerous organizations interested in taking on Detmers as a reclamation project. However, given that he is still only 25 years old and under team control until at least the 2027 season, the Angels would likely only be prepared to deal so low on Detmers if: a) they have largely given up on him, or b) they are receiving offers that are too good to pass up.
Passan also claims that the Angels are open to trading Carlos Estevez, Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward, Kevin Pillar, Luis Garcia, and Hunter Strickland. The only names on the list that are fairly shocking are Ward and Anderson, who were previously deemed unlikely to be traded.
However, Passan notes that possible suitors have “soured” on Ward because to his current collapse; he is batting.159 with a 25 wRC+ in his previous 17 games. Anderson, meanwhile, has continued to pitch well since being named to his second All-Star team. In his first start after the break, he kept the Mariners to one run and three hits, striking out eight. His underlying metrics remain alarming, but his 4.94 SIERA ranks last among all qualifying pitchers.
Finally, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that infielder Luis Rengifo will be reinstated off the injured list on Tuesday. Rengifo’s ailment prevented Passan from including him on his list of available Angels. Now that he is fit, one would expect the Angels to call on the 27-year-old, especially if they are ready to deal other players with team control after this season, such as Anderson and Ward.
