An early look at 4 Angels players most likely to be traded by the trade deadline

4. Starting pitcher Reid Detmers

Reid Detmers who turns 26 in July is the most out-of-the-box trade candidate on this list. The former tenth-overall pick is one of the front-runners to claim the fifth-starter job, and unlike the others, is under control through 2029.

At one point in time, Detmers was the Angels' top prospect, and the promising lefty has been given several opportunities to establish himself at the big-league level over the past three seasons. Despite his pedigree and experience, however, he's not a lock to make the 26-man roster out of spring training.

Detmers, who has two minor-league options remaining, put together a nightmare 2024 season that featured a mid-season demotion and persistent struggles even when he resurfaced during the season's coda. On the year, he finished with a stomach-turning 6.70 ERA over the course of 17 starts and 87.1 innings pitched.

His issue isn't stuff, he recorded 11.23 K/9 in the bigs last season paired with an acceptable albeit not great 3.92 BB/9. His issue appeared to be mental as he failed to execute pitches in crucial moments, leaving far too many offerings in the middle of the plate waiting to get crushed.

His minor league demotion was supposed to give him the opportunity to get his head right, and the hope was that when he returned his mental block would be cleared. That turned out not to be the case.

While he still has all the potential in the world, the longer he goes without realizing it the more likely he is to become a lost cause. Regardless of whether or not he wins the fifth starter job, the Angels should and very well could look into trading him before he struggles again and his value turns into dust.

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