Angels Rumors: New intel reveals why Reid Detmers trade with Cubs collapsed

The 2026 trade deadline was an especially busy period for the Los Angeles Angels. A number of key players were dealt to teams across the league, resulting in a solid haul of prospects in return for the Angels. But it was one high-profile trade that wasn’t actually made that fans may remember the most. 

For a brief moment in time, it appeared that pitcher Reid Detmers had been traded to the Chicago Cubs. According to Michael Cerami, editor-in-chief of Bleacher Nation, the two teams had agreed to a deal that would have seen the southpaw heading to the Cubbies. It seemed like an excellent move for Chicago, a team desperate to replenish a pitching staff that had been decimated by injuries in the first half. 

There was just one catch. No other sports reporter covering the deadline could confirm the deal. Despite getting a massive amount of pushback from skeptics of the deal in question, Cerami originally stood by his reporting. 

“I haven’t been wrong before, and I trust my source,” Cerami wrote in a now-deleted Twitter post.  

Obviously, Cerami was wrong about the trade in hindsight. To his credit, he later owned up to the mistake and offered up a heartfelt retraction of his incorrect scoop. But just a few months later, we have now learned that Cerami wasn’t exactly off base in his reporting. He simply jumped the gun. 

As noted by The Cub Reporter, the Angels did in fact have a trade in place that would have sent Detmers to the Cubs in exchange for a package deal that included prospects Jefferson Rojas and Jaxon Wiggins. The only problem was that the Angels medical staff were not confident enough in Wiggins’ medical history to okay the deal. 

Just like that, the imminent trade disintegrated in the blink of an eye and Detmers ultimately stayed put in LA. The Cubs quickly pivoted to acquire starter Clay Holmes from the New York Mets. A little while later, the Cubs front office reengaged with Angels interim GM John Mozeliak and worked out a deal to swap catcher Moises Ballesteros for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. 

The Angels lucked out by keeping Reid Detmers

If the Cubs deal actually went through, the Angels would have certainly done quite well for themselves. As the 68th best prospect in all of baseball, Rojas would have given the team a potent offensive weapon for years to come. At just 21 years old, the infielder boasted an .843 OPS in 489 combined at-bats in Double-A and Triple-A. His 27 home runs weren’t too shabby either. 

As for Wiggins, the Angels may have had a bit of buyer’s remorse. Despite possessing a lively fastball and an impressive slider capable of getting a hefty amount of swings and misses, Wiggins' injury history has stunted his overall development. After missing a large chunk of the 2026 season with right elbow inflammation, Wiggins really struggled to get back on track, as noted by his 6.75 ERA in 42.2 innings of work. And at 25 years old, he is considered to be a somewhat older prospect. 

On the flipside of that failed trade, Detmers continued to enjoy a career season in 2026. He even got better as the year went on. The lefty sported a 1.89 ERA and 0.891 WHIP in 13 second half starts for the Angels. He finished the season with 4.9 fWAR, the 9th best mark among all starting pitchers in baseball. 

At 27 years old, Detmers is just two years older than Wiggins while already having 168 career appearances under his belt. While Detmers has always had the stuff to be an effective pitcher in the league, he struggled to really put everything together. But it wasn’t until he was bounced out of the Angels rotation in 2025 that he really took his game to the next level. 

While speaking to Sports Illustrated regarding his success in 2026, Detmers pointed to his experience out of the pen for his reversal of fortune. He noted a real change in how he commanded the strike zone. 

“I would say the bullpen definitely helped, for sure just with attacking guys, always staying on the attack,” Detmers said. “I wouldn't say I was pitching around guys but I was going out of the zone a lot. I'd get to 0-1, 0-2 and then I would waste three pitches and then it would be 3-2 and I'd walk them.”  

With a career-low 2.3 walks per nine in 185 innings of work in 2026, Detmers has now given the Angels a legitimate ace on the staff. And thanks to the emergence of Walbert Ureña, the team even boasts a formidable one-two punch in the rotation. 

Trading Detmers at the deadline would have prevented that lethal combination from really taking shape at the end of the year. As the team heads into the 2027 season under new ownership and a chance to even become contenders in a weak AL West, the trade that never happened was a blessing in disguise. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow