Brewers Should Be First in Line if Angels' Reid Detmers Is Available

The Milwaukee Brewers need to add another arm ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

May 30, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers (48) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers have two holes to fill right now and they are a big bat in the middle of the order and arguably another starter for the back of the rotation.

For the bat in the middle of the order, that's self-explanatory. The Brewers' offense lacks some thump in the middle of the order and Milwaukee is tied for 27th in the league with just 57 homers as a team in 66 games. That's not going to cut it when the playoffs come around. The Brewers need more pop.

On the pitching side, the Brewers have been able to get through this season, but it certainly hasn't been easy in the starting rotation. Brandon Woodruff hasn't made a start since April 30, although he's expected back next week. Logan Henderson hasn't made a start since May 22 and isn't expected back until July. Quinn Priester hasn't made a start in the majors this season and just got returned from a minor league rehab assignment again and is still on the Injured List with no end in sight.

With Priester still specifically up in the air, Milwaukee should be looking for another arm to add to the mix and one team they should have their eyes on is the Los Angeles Angels. Tarik Skubal of the Milwaukee Brewers has been talked about a lot. He would be expensive, but the Brewers have the prospects to afford a deal. If the Brewers don't want to go that big, Angels lefty Reid Detmers could be another fit.

Milwaukee Should Call Los Angeles

Jun 10, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) delivers during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

While breaking down nine players who could end up being on the move, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand mentioned Detmers as one option who could be traded.

"Reid Detmers, LHP, Angels," Feinsand wrote. "Detmers’ name has surfaced on the trade market before, but with two years of club control remaining, this might be the right time for the Angels to trade the 26-year-old. Detmers, a first-round pick in 2020, is 1-0 with a 1.73 ERA in his past four starts, posting a 0.54 WHIP and holding batters to a .105 average during that stretch, striking out 36 in 26 innings. For the season, Detmers ranks in the 89th percentile of the league in strikeout percentage."

Detmers is 26 years old and has a 4.00 ERA in 14 starts so far this season for Los Angeles. Unlike Skubal, he has control beyond the 2026 season. Detmers is under team control for two more seasons after the 2026 campaign wraps up.

If the Brewers could afford Skubal with their elite prospect pool, then they obviously could afford Detmers as well. He'd give the Brewers another lefty option as well, on top of Kyle Harrison. With Priester completely up in the air, the Brewers should be looking for another arm. Detmers is someone on a bad team with a lot of skill. He's another hurler the Brewers could make very good in their system.