Angels Pitcher Needs Change of Scenery, Says Insider

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand listed Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Reid Detmers as one of eight major leaguers who could most use a change of scenery before the trade deadline.

Feinsand believes Detmers' previous success in the starting role could attract many teams if the Angels decide to sell before the deadline. They currently sit third in the AL West and are three games below .500.

"The Angels are under .500 and face an uphill battle in a crowded AL postseason picture, and with Detmers headed for his second of four arbitration years this winter, another team could still value him as a potential starter," said Feinsand. "...He struggled badly last year, but he turns 26 next month. Detmers had enough success early in his career for teams to consider taking a chance on him as a long-term starter."

Detmers lost his spot in the Angels' rotation before the 2025 season, and struggled early on as a reliever. The southpaw's ERA grew into the double digits in May after three calamitous appearances where he recorded just one out and allowed 12 runs. Since then however, Detmers has found his stride out of the bullpen, allowing just one run in his last 12 appearances.

The 26-year-old made his debut for the Angels in 2021 after they selected him 10th in the 2020 MLB Draft, though he struggled in his first season, posting a 7.40 ERA in his first season as an Angel through five starts. He broke out in 2022, starting 25 games and keeping the lowest ERA of his career this far, a mark of 3.77. He also threw a no-hitter that season, the first complete game no-no by a Halo since Jered Weaver in 2012.

Detmers had a rough 2024 season, posting a 6.70 ERA through 17 starts and spent a few months with Triple-A Salt Lake before a late-season call up.

Angels manager Ron Washington hasn't lost faith in Detmers as a starter just yet, though, and believes he will make a return to the rotation in the future.

“It’s definitely in his future,” Washington said. “I don’t know if that future is soon. I don’t know where that future is, but it’s certainly in his future.”

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