Could Reid Detmers be an option for the San Diego Padres as they search for pitching? 

There is absolutely no doubt that the San Diego Padres need pitching.

The starting staff has dealt with injuries to Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish this season. The Padres are also approaching the innings limits for Michael King and Matt Waldron. Both pitchers have hardly thrown more innings in their careers than in the 2024 season. Their availability late in the year is cloudy at best.

Something must be done if the Padres are to make the playoffs and compete beyond the first round.

The Padres could acquire several veteran pitchers to provide instant relief. For several reasons, Jack Flaherty, Tyler Anderson, and Yusei Kikuchi make sense, but perhaps the Padres are considering a long-term solution.

Enter- Reid Detmers.

The Angels sent the promising young left-hander to the minors in early June after a disappointing start against the Mariners. Detmers went 3-6 with a 6.14 ERA and a 1.476 WHIP in 12 starts and 63 innings pitched at the major league level. The lefty did strike out 70 batters in that time.

In Triple-A, his numbers got worse pitching in the PCL. Detmers is 2-4 this season for the Salt Lake Bees with a 7.11 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP in seven starts and 38 innings pitched.

His stuff is excellent, but harnessing it and pitching consistently has not come easy for the 24-year-old southpaw.

So, why would the Padres have any interest? 

Well, Detmers is under control through the 2027 season. That’s three-plus years of service time for a pitcher who should be in the prime of his career.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the lefty has been generating a lot of trade interest in the last few weeks. The Padres, indeed, have to be one of those teams that are kicking the tires on the young pitcher. But would Detmers be able to contribute now? That is what the Padres need.

The theory is that Ruben Niebla can work his magic and help calm the mechanics of this young pitcher. His stuff is nasty with a 3.65 xERA, 29.5 % Whiff rate, and 25.3 strikeout percentage. Detmers generates a 34.4 whiff rate on his slider. The stuff is there. Putting it all together is the problem. But a change of scenery should help Detmers.

What would be the price tag?  

One would NOT expect to pay the price tag of Leodalis De Vries or Ethan Salas, but essentially, anyone else in the system is up for grabs. The Padres may choose to package a few of their upper-tier starting pitchers with a major league-ready player like Eguy Rosario or Graham Pauley. That would be an excellent starting point for the two sides to negotiate.

The Padres have a system that could satisfy the Angels’ needs now and in the future.

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Detmers is generating interest, and the Angels may be wise to trade him now while he has upside value. If he toils in the minors or majors for the rest of the season, his value will take a further hit. For the Padres, they need to do something. There will be moves. Perhaps adding Reid Detmers is one of them.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.