The White Sox may still be shopping for pitching help at the deadline, but one of their cleaner fits is suddenly looking a lot less realistic.
Reid Detmers, the Angels left-hander who had started to emerge as a strong target for Chicago, now comes with some real doubt attached. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan put his chance of being traded at 20%, and they added that executives are “skeptical” the Angels will actually sell this summer.
"Chance of being traded: 20%," McDaniel and Passan write. "... Of course, it's the Angels, so executives are skeptical that it will happen."
That’s a tough turn for a White Sox team that is expected to buy at this year’s MLB trade deadline, even if it’s not in position to go all the way in. Because of that, rentals aren’t really the priority. Chicago’s preference is controllable talent, especially starting pitching, and Detmers had checked a lot of those boxes.
The appeal is obvious. Detmers is 26, has a 4.13 ERA this season, and is under club control through the 2028 season. For a White Sox team looking to add a pitcher who can stick around, that kind of profile makes plenty of sense.
But the Angels have not exactly made a habit of playing their trade cards in the open, and that history is part of why this update matters. Even with John Mozeliak taking over mid-season for Perry Minasian, the sense around the league is that Los Angeles may not be eager to move notable pieces.
Players who are set to hit free agency after the season could still be available, but Detmers is in a different category. He’s controlled for the next 2.5 seasons, which makes him far less likely to be moved if the Angels decide to hold.
For the White Sox, that means the search may need to shift elsewhere. Detmers had been a natural match, but with his trade odds sitting at just 20%, Chicago may have to pivot to another controllable starter before the deadline.
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