It hasn’t been the season Reid Detmers has hoped for so far. In 12 starts this season, he has an ERA of 6.14 with 70 strikeouts, 27 walks, and a 1.476 WHIP. If you look at some of the advanced numbers it doesn’t get much better. He has a 4.36 FIP and a 67 ERA+. Now Detmers was never expected to be an ace, but he wasn’t supposed to struggle like this. He was supposed to be a solid mid-rotation guy. It’s gotten so bad that after two full seasons in the Bigs, the Angels sent Detmers down to Triple-A.
However, just because his numbers seem ugly they don’t tell the whole story. Sending Detmers down to the minors might be one of the worst things the Angels could’ve done. It seems like they’re giving up on the 24-year-old. It’s also yet another pitcher the Angels have failed. The smart move for any MLB team would be to trade for Detmers right now.
Detmers is The Unluckiest Pitchers in Baseball
Now, as stated before, his numbers this season don’t look good. However, when you break them down, you realize that Detmers had a bad month. For March and April, his stats resembled more of his career numbers. In six starts, he pitched to a 3.15 ERA with 37 strikeouts, 10 walks, and a 1.17 WHIP. It’s the month of May that tanked his stats. He had an ERA of 9.49 with 30 strikeouts, 13 walks, and a 1.82 WHIP. When you have a month like that, it’s no wonder the stats would paint you as a bad pitcher.
However, a further dive into these numbers shows that May was the result of bad luck. Several stats point to him being extremely unlucky. His xERA for this season is 3.57. This means that his ERA should be two and a half points lower based on how he pitched. This shows that he’s pitching a lot better than his numbers indicate. Also, there are major differences between the batting average and the expected batting average for his pitch. All of his pitches have at least a 25-point difference between the opposing batting average and the expected batting average. The worst is his curveball which has an opposing batting average of .344 and an opposing batting average of .250.
All of this points to Detmers being extremely unlikely. Whether it be the hitters just being able to make solid contact, something off in his mechanics, or even something as simple as the defense not making the plays they’re supposed to. The point is that Detmers is still pitching at the same rate he had the previous two seasons.
Teams That Could Trade for Him
The Angels opting him to the minors sends a message that they don’t believe in him. It’s not like the Angels are in the heat of a playoff race. They’re currently in last place with a record of 24-38. Allowing Detmers to figure out his struggles in the majors wouldn’t cost them a playoff spot. It would also show Detmers they still believe in him as a starter. It might just be best for both sides to move on. A team could also get Detmers for next to nothing. Here are a couple of teams that could be interested in acquiring Detmers.
Cleveland Guardians
The Guardians are off to a great start in 2024. They’re in first place in the American League special with a record of 40-20. They also have a solid five-game lead over the second-place Kansas City Royals. The Guardians have been led by their bullpen. It has been without question the best bullpen in baseball, led by lockdown closer Emmanuel Clase. However, they could use a back-end starter to solidify the rotation. The perfect role for Detmers. It also could re-energize him and help get him back to how he pitched in April.
Atlanta Braves
Despite being the fourth-best team in the National League, the Braves are eight games behind the Phillies for first. Now when you’re in the same division as the best team in baseball, you really can’t focus on the division. The Braves need to do everything to keep the top wild-card spot in the National League. The one thing that could derail that goal is the starting pitching depth. Braves executives are skeptical of the Braves starters’ success. They don’t want to rely on Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, and Charlie Morton. Although good they’re due for regression. Detmers could provide some stability to an unstable staff.
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