NY Mets rumors: Amazins pinned as the best place for an underwhelming trade target

When Jeff Passan writes, it’s usually an important story or a nice left hook responding to a troll on social media. A reliable source of all things baseball, Passan put together a monster list of trade candidates and included some of the best fits for every team. Littered with mentions of the New York Mets throughout, he connected them to one of the more underwhelming yet realistic possibilities for the trade deadline.

Coming in at number 27 (said in a Casey Kasem voice) on the list, Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels. A name Mets fans will know best from when he pitched a no-hitter shortly after their combined no-no only for Noah Syndergaard to needlessly mock his ex-team rather than celebrate his teammate’s accomplishment, a lot has changed in Detmers’ career since. Most notably, he is being used as a reliever by the Angels this year.

Passan lists a 15% chance of Detmers getting dealt by the Angels. Controlled through the 2028 season, urgency isn’t there for the Orange County Halos to move on from him. And as Passan notes, many teams could view him as a potential starting pitcher option rather than just a reliever.

Mets rumors: Is Reid Detmers worth going after?

Despite starting his first 75 big league games, Detmers hasn’t been a multi-inning reliever for the Angels this season. He has logged 34 innings in 31 appearances, going 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA exclusively out of the bullpen.

An ERA that could fool you into thinking he’s just all right, followers of FIP will tell you otherwise. A magnificent 2.75 FIP thanks to a home run rate of only 0.5 per 9 and elevated strikeout rate of 11.6 per 9 add some flair to his performance. However, it still does come with a dangerous 1.50 WHIP coming from a mix of averaging a hit per inning and 4.5 walks per 9.

He has improved in the places where the bigger baseball geeks linger. Balls aren’t getting hit hard off of him and many times they’re on the ground. Headlining his success, his whiff rate is in the 91st percentile. His splits are curious. Left-handed hitters are batting .282/.349/.282 against him. He hasn’t given up anything but singles against them.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/reid-detmers-672282?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb

Detmers absolutely feels like the kind of player whose name could show up in late July Mets rumors. Something about these projects tends to catch the eye of David Stearns more often than not. Passan notes how the Angels could “fetch a hefty return” which isn’t exactly what Mets fans want to see. If there’s a hefty price to pay on a player, it better not be an ex-starter with good bullpen peripherals and not the greatest of executed results.

The Mets could still use him, but at a price described the same way you would the garbage bags you keep in your garage, it’s an easy pass. The team desperately needs a left-handed reliever in the bullpen, but surely there are better choices out there. Years of control are a bonus with Detmers only if he pitches well. If he doesn’t, it feels like an add-on that isn’t of much use. He’ll turn 26 in early July, making him a piece to build with.

On the fly, he’s probably not the best choice for a team with World Series aspirations. Fortunately, the Angels are 40-40 and only 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. They're not selling yet, especially a player like Detmers, who is better off keeping around either for an offseason deal or to further improve his reliever stock.