The Angels made one of the more interesting calls at the 2026 trade deadline when they decided not to move Reid Detmers. At the time, that choice looked questionable, especially after Los Angeles landed a massive return for Jose Soriano and both pitchers were on similar timelines. If Soriano was a sell-high move, Detmers looked like the kind of arm that could have brought back an even bigger haul.
Now, the picture has sharpened. Detmers isn’t just holding steady - he’s surging. With a 1.52 ERA in the second half thus far, he’s making a strong case as one of the best left-handed starters in the game, and that changes everything about how the Angels have to think about him.
That rise comes with a catch. Every dominant start makes him more expensive to keep around, and Los Angeles already missed its best chance to lock him up on a below-market extension.
That’s where the Angels, and Perry Minasian in particular, have to wear some of the blame. It would have taken foresight, but the opportunity was there.
Still, this isn’t a clean miss. Detmers is under team control through 2028, which means the Angels can still work with a lot of flexibility.
They could trade him in the offseason or wait until next year’s deadline, and the return would almost certainly be stronger than what they would have gotten this summer. In that sense, holding onto him may end up being a smart value play.
There’s another layer here, too. In the past, a situation like this would have basically shut the door on the idea of keeping a pitcher like Detmers long-term. But the Angels may be entering a different era of decision-making.
While there’s no certainty yet about how Stan Kroenke will run things or who the general manager will be, his track record with other sports franchises points to two likely changes from the Arte Moreno years: he won’t be pinching pennies, and he’ll surround the front office with strong baseball minds before letting them operate. If the baseball people decide an extension is the right move, ownership won’t be the obstacle.
So the Angels are left with real options. They can still trade Detmers later for a bigger return, or they can decide he’s part of the future and pay what it takes to keep him.
Either way, holding him at the deadline didn’t trap them. It gave them leverage.
In Other News...
Angels Suddenly Have A Perry Minasian Move Fans Need To Revisit
Late in 2025, the Angels made a quiet waiver claim that barely registered outside the usual transaction churn, bringing Wade Meckler over from the Giants. He was later outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake, but the move never really disappeared from the background, because Meckler kept pushing his way back into the conversation and eventually earned a contract selection in May 2026.
Since then, Meckler has given the Angels exactly the kind of depth teams hope to uncover in a waiver pickup, with strong defense and a high on-base percentage helping stabilize the outfield mix. It is the kind of roster move that reflects well on Perry Minasians eye for value, and it leaves the Angels with a useful piece they can keep leaning on while fans revisit just how shrewd that claim turned out to be. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Rotation Search Could Lead To A Fascinating Winter Battle
Kaima Tairas latest start in Saitama drew more than local attention, with multiple MLB clubs, including the Angels, in the stands to watch the Seibu Lions pitcher work. For a team that could use every avenue to strengthen its rotation, that kind of scouting trip is another sign that the Angels are casting a wide net this winter and keeping an eye on arms that might fit beyond the usual domestic market.
Tairas rise has made him a name to monitor. After moving from closer to starter in Japan, he has put up strong numbers in NPB and started to look like a legitimate candidate for a jump to MLB, but the process has not advanced to the point of a posting or any formal move. For now, the interest is real, the fit is easy to understand and the waiting is part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Hit Another Brutal Point In A Lost Season
A rough night at Fenway Park only deepened the frustration for the Angels, who fell 5-2 to the Red Sox in the series opener and never found a way to get much going against Brayan Bello. Bostons starter worked five scoreless innings, while Los Angeles handed the ball to Grayson Rodriguez and quickly found itself chasing the game after he ran into trouble early.
The bigger blow, though, came in the standings, where the loss sealed another year without October baseball for a club that has been stuck in that familiar position for too long. It was the 12th straight season the Angels were officially out of playoff contention, and with a road series already off to a discouraging start, there was little in this one to suggest the reset they need is coming anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]