Dodgers-Angels Trade Idea: Reid Detmers Could Fix L.A.'s Pitching Crisis

A championship team with a real problem

Saying the Dodgers have a "crisis" feels ridiculous for a two-time defending champ running away with the NL West at 63-38. But watch the rotation lately and the word starts to fit. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both on the 60-day IL, Shohei Ohtani isn't pitching, and Emmet Sheehan just got shelled in Philadelphia, pushing his ERA to 5.13. Roki Sasaki isn't far behind at 4.98. Outside of Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski, this rotation is shaky heading into the stretch run.

Enter Reid Detmers

With Tarik Skubal likely staying in Detroit and names like Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray murky on the market, Angels lefty Reid Detmers might be the best available arm nobody's talking about. His 4.16 ERA undersells him — his expected ERA sits at 3.26, and he still has two years of team control left. The catch: he plays for the Dodgers' most bitter rival, and Angels owner Arte Moreno doesn't exactly love helping L.A.'s other team.

What the deal could look like

One proposed framework sends Detmers to the Dodgers for a four-player package: RHP Emmet Sheehan, outfielder Mike Sirota, RHP Christian Zazueta, and outfielder Ryan Ward. Sheehan, despite his rough 2026, is still a 26-year-old mid-rotation arm who hasn't hit arbitration. Sirota and Zazueta are both considered among the best prospects in a stacked Dodgers farm system — Sirota came over in the Gavin Lux trade and has taken off, while Zazueta is putting up huge numbers at Double-A this year.

For the Angels, that's two potential rotation pieces and two possible everyday outfielders, all under team control, for a pitcher who likely won't be around for their next competitive window anyway. On paper, that's real value.

Would the Dodgers actually pull the trigger?

Andrew Friedman has never been shy about adding star-caliber talent for a playoff push, and reports suggesting the Dodgers won't let injuries dictate their deadline strategy don't really hold up under scrutiny. Detmers fits both short-term needs (rotation depth right now) and long-term ones, given Glasnow's contract situation and Ohtani's uncertain pitching future. And crucially, the Dodgers could make this move without gutting their farm system — they'd still have Josue de Paula, Zyhir Hope, Edgardo Quintero, River Ryan and Zach Root in the pipeline.

Why it might not happen anyway

The biggest obstacle isn't value — it's pride. Trading a talented, controllable starter to your rival, even for a strong return, is a tough sell for an Angels front office that's used to being on the losing end of these L.A. rivalries. Whether Moreno prioritizes asset value over bragging rights will determine if this ever gets off the ground.