Why Angels' Reid Detmers Could Be Perfect Trade Target for Rays

Here's why Reid Detmers Could Be a Perfect Trade Target for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jul 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) looks on during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming off a great week, the Tampa Bay Rays should feel really good about their current position with the MLB trade deadline now less than a week away. However, despite the success, the team should be aggressive in trying to improve, and there will be no shortage of options for them. 

The Rays have been one of the top surprises in all of baseball and are showing no signs of slowing down. With the best record in the American League, Tampa Bay should be thinking about what they can potentially achieve this year. 

Since the Rays have a golden opportunity in front of them, being aggressive and trying to make some moves to improve makes a ton of sense. While Tampa Bay has been strong, there are some areas that they could improve. 

The lineup is certainly one of them. Their star trio has covered up a lot of the shortcomings for the group, but another slugger or two would make a lot of sense. Furthermore, in addition to some help for the batting order, adding another pitcher for the rotation also makes sense. 

Recently, Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote about Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers being a perfect target. 

Reid Detmers Would Be Perfect Trade Target

Jul 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Reid Detmers (48) pitches during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinalsat Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While landing Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers would be the massive splash that could really open some eyes around the league, Detmers might be a more realistic option. 

With there still being some uncertainty about what the Tigers are going to do with Skubal, the Rays should be exploring some other pitching options as well. The southpaw from the Angels is having a good year and could be a potential nice option for the rotation. 

Tampa Bay does seem willing to add another arm despite the unit as a whole doing well. So far this season, Detmers has totaled a 4.05 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 120 innings pitched. 

Even though his record isn’t good on a bad Los Angeles team, Detmers has been pretty solid and could be a valuable middle-of-the-rotation piece for the Rays. 

Furthermore, with him still being under team control for a couple of years, he could be a piece in the rotation for the next few seasons as well. 

If the Rays are going to part with some of their prized prospects, dealing them for a player that is still under team control makes sense. Even though Skubal would be a fantastic addition, it’s hard to imagine the Rays dealing top-level prospects for someone they can’t re-sign. 

Overall, while Detmers might not be a needle-mover, he could certainly pitch in big situations in the playoffs and help improve the team at the deadline.