Angels pitcher generating trade interest

Reid Detmers certainly hasn’t had the 2024 season he was hoping for. The southpaw has been pitching for the Salt Lake Bees since June when the Angels optioned him to Triple-A. 

Nevertheless, he is reportedly drawing trade interest from numerous teams, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, who lists Detmers as one of many players the Angels have made available ahead of the deadline.

Since his debut in 2021, Detmers has made 70 MLB starts with a 4.68 ERA, 4.17 SIERA and 5.4 Wins Above Replacement (per FanGraphs). The lefty seemingly cemented his role in the Angels rotation by the end of the 2022 season, when he pitched a no-hitter and an immaculate inning, finishing his rookie campaign with a 3.77 ERA and 4.12 SIERA in 25 starts. He led the team in starts and innings pitched the following season, and while his ERA rose to 4.48, his 4.14 SIERA remained significantly better than the league average.

Detmers got off to a strong start in 2024, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his first four outings. Unfortunately, his season quickly came off the rails after that. Over his next eight starts, he gave up 41 runs (40 earned) in 40 1/3 innings of work. His strikeout rate dropped from 34.9 percent over his first four starts to 20.9 percent across his next eight; while he had not allowed a single home run in those first four contests, he gave up 10 in his subsequent outings. 

Detmers wasn’t allowing any more hard contact than usual, but his average launch angle rose by nearly 5 degrees. Consequently, his barrel rate more than doubled. His 4.62 SIERA over that stretch wasn’t awful (seven qualified pitchers currently have a SIERA of 4.62 or higher), but clearly, something wasn’t quite right with the 25-year-old hurler.

It was a little surprising to see a team with such little pitching depth demote a proven major leaguer after eight poor starts. Then again, the last time the Angels optioned him to Triple-A amid a rough stretch, June 2022, he forced his way back soon after and thrived over the final three months of the season (3.04 ERA and 3.70 SIERA in 13 starts). 

Perhaps L.A. was hoping another quick stopover at Triple-A would help Detmers figure things out. At the time, Angels manager Ron Washington told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that he didn’t expect the move to be “permanent.” 

Unfortunately, Detmers has struggled tremendously for Salt Lake, pitching to a 7.11 ERA and 6.04 FIP in seven starts (38 IP). Most concerningly, he has given up 11 home runs to his minor league opponents. His stats look better if you ignore his two worst outings, but even then, his 4.94 ERA and 4.11 FIP at Triple-A are worrisome numbers for a pitcher who is supposed to be an above-average major leaguer.

All that being said, there are, evidently, multiple teams interested in taking on Detmers as a reclamation project. However, considering that he is still just 25 years old and under team control through at least the 2027 season, the Angels would likely only be willing to sell so low on Detmers if either a) they have largely given up on him, or b) they are receiving offers too good to ignore.

In additional Angels news, Passan suggests the team is also willing to part with Carlos Estevez, Tyler Anderson, Taylor Ward, Kevin Pillar, Luis Garcia and Hunter Strickland. The only somewhat surprising names on that list are Ward and Anderson, whom the team was previously thought to be unlikely to trade. 

That said, Passan also mentions that potential suitors have “soured” on Ward amid his recent slump; he is batting .159 with a 25 wRC+ over his last 17 games. Anderson, meanwhile, has continued to pitch well since making his second All-Star team. He held the Mariners to one run and three hits while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings in his first start back from the break. His underlying numbers remain concerning; however, his 4.94 SIERA ranks last among all qualified pitchers.

Finally, infielder Luis Rengifo will be reinstated from the injured list Tuesday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Passan did not include Rengifo on his list of available Angels due to his injury status. Now that he is healthy, one would think the Angels will also be taking calls on the 27-year-old, especially if they are willing to trade other players under team control beyond this season like Anderson and Ward.