The Angels traded left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers to the Chicago Cubs on Monday ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
And then they didn’t.
Less than 10 minutes after the news broke of the deal, several sources confirmed that Detmers had not been dealt to Chicago, with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first to report it. Minutes after that, it was revealed that the Cubs completed a trade with the Miami Marlins for left-handed pitcher Braxton Garrett.
That furthered the notion that the Angels will not be bolstering their farm system at the expense of their lefty.
The Angels were slated to receive three prospects in return: infielder Jefferson Rojas (the Cubs’ No. 2 overall prospect), right-handed pitcher Dominick Reid (the Cubs’ No. 13 overall prospect), and right-handed pitcher Mason McGwire, (Chicago’s No. 18 overall prospect).
Detmers had a 3-7 record with a 4.03 ERA and 145 strikeouts for the Angels this season. He made his debut with Los Angeles in 2021, one year after the Angels selected him with the No. 10 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. His career stats for the Angels were 24-38 with a 4.61 ERA and 643 strikeouts in 574.1 innings pitched.
The biggest moment of Detmers’ career by far is when he threw a no-hitter against the Rays in what was just his 11th major league start. It was the 12th no-hitter in Angels franchise history.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale made an interesting claim regarding Detmers’ potential trade value in June, writing, “If the Angels changed their mind and made Detmers available, they could demand a package greater than the one the Tigers will receive for two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
“He not only has two more years of control than Skubal, but is earning just $2.7 million,” Nightengale added.
Fans might have pondered whether the return for Detmers dwarfed what the crosstown Dodgers offered for Tarik Skubal. Nightengale’s point was that since Skubal is a free agent after this offseason, the fact that Detmers is under arbitration control through the 2028 season made him an appealing trade target.
The 27-year-old Detmers’ last appearance for the Angels was July 28, when he gave up two earned runs in five innings against the Astros.
From the looks of it, he will remain at ‘The Big A,’ barring another last-minute deal coming to fruition.
