Angels' southpaw Reid Detmers is a trade candidate on the rise

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Angels southpaw Reid Detmers is a trade candidate on the rise

By Vanessa Serrao | Last updated Jun 12, 2026 1:20 PM ET

Los Angeles Angels starting left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers has emerged as a potential trade candidate who is on the rise with the trade deadline less than two months away.

The 26-year-old has become a valuable asset on the trade market as he remains under club control through the 2028 season.

A recent surge over his last four starts has seen him post a dominant 1.73 ERA, 36 strikeouts, and a 0.54 WHIP, while giving up only five earned runs over 26 innings. As well, he's demonstrated a strong expected ERA (xERA) of 2.86, which is well above his 4.00 ERA on the season.

With the Angels ranking at the bottom of the AL West, ESPN's Jeff Passan has projected that trading away Detmers could be the fuel needed to ignite an essential start of a rebuild for the team.

.@Feinsand put out his list of 9 potential trade candidates on the rise with the trade deadline on the horizon

⚾️ JJ Bleday
⚾️ Reid Detmers
⚾️ Jarren Duran
⚾️ Hunter Goodman
⚾️ Sonny Gray
⚾️ Zach Neto
⚾️ Riley O’Brien
⚾️ Joe Ryan
⚾️ Casey Schmitt pic.twitter.com/CSn4nt7Si3
— Baseball Is Dead (@baseballisdead_) June 12, 2026

Why Reid Detmers makes a compelling trade candidate

Contending teams such as the Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta Braves have gained interest in Detmers as he's a controllable starter who is boasting with a 29.3% strikeout rate. His strong 2.87 FIP also ranks him in the top 10 (sixth) among MLB starters.

He also contains dominant swing-and-miss stuff with his slider that generates a 35.8% whiff rate, while holding opponents to a .187 batting average.

Deters is currently stuck with an Angels team that possesses poor defense and would benefit from thriving in a new environment. The Angels are geared towards being sellers this season, making Deters a strong candidate to be dealt at the deadline.

He's demonstrated how he's a strikeout prowess ranking fifth in MLB with 97 strikeouts, which has propelled his breakout performance while also establishing him as the Angels' ace of the rotation.

His dominance and reliability make him a prominent trade candidate, which was illustrated in his 9-strikeout performance against the Houston Astros on June 10th. His compelling performance led to a 3-2 walk-off victory for the Angels, as he dished out seven dominant innings while throwing 71% of his pitches for strikes.

Vanessa Serrao

Serrao is a freelance baseball writer who has covered all MLB teams, with particular expertise on the Toronto Blue Jays. She is a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America.

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