Reid Detmers doesn’t generate much excitement on the surface.
The Los Angeles Angels left-hander did throw a no-hitter as a rookie in 2022, less than two years after being drafted 10th overall from the University of Louisville. Otherwise, Detmers has been nondescript, posting a 28-39 record and a 4.36 ERA in 168 games (107 starts) over six seasons.
Yet Detmers is one of the most coveted players on the trade market this offseason after nearly being dealt to the Chicago Cubs at this year’s deadline on Aug. 3. The Angels nixed what would have been a blockbuster trade over concerns about Cubs pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins’ medical records and instead swapped reliever Ryan Zeferjahn to Chicago for rookie catcher Moises Ballesteros.
Why is Detmers such a popular trade target? He is 27, has two years of contractual control remaining, is projected to earn $7.5 million next year through arbitration, and is coming off a season in which he went 7-8. Still, he had a career-best 3.36 ERA and 211 strikeouts in 185 innings and 32 starts.
Plenty of teams would like to trade for Detmers before Dec. 2, when the collective bargaining agreement expires, and the owners are expected to impose a lockout that would shut down the game. The Angels, though, are in flux with the team being sold and interim general manager John Mozeliak’s contract expiring on Dec. 2.
One team that could use Detmers is the Atlanta Braves. Ace Chris Sale is the only lefty in the defending National League East champions’ projected rotation that includes Didier Fuentes, Grant Holmes, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder.
What would it take for the Braves to land Reid Detmers?
So, what kind of trade package would Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos have to assemble to land Detmers? He would have to start with Eric Hartman, the organization’s top prospect.
A 20-year-old left-handed-hitting center fielder, Hartman had a breakout season this year, hitting .249/.350/.456 with 24 home runs and 38 stolen bases in 128 games combined at the Double-A and High-A levels.
MLB.com ranks Hartman as the No. 38 overall prospect, and he would be behind only shortstop Arjun Nimmala (No. 34) in the Angels’ organization. The Angels acquired Nimmala from the Blue Jays at this year’s trade deadline in a deal that sent right-hander George Soriano to Toronto.
The Braves could also add left-hander Dylan Dodd, who could cheaply help the Angels’ big-league bullpen. The 29-year-old is not yet arbitration-eligible and had a fine 2026 season, posting a 4-1 record, 2.54 ERA, 0.906 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 48 games and 49.2 innings.
Trading Hartman would be difficult, but Detmers would increase the Braves’ chances of reaching the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years in 2027.
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