More than two months into the season, the MLB landscape is starting to take shape. Some teams have solidified themselves as contenders, while others appear destined to sell at the trade deadline. The White Sox fall somewhere in the middle. At 33-29, they have well exceeded preseason expectations to this point and are firmly in the playoff race. They are currently in the second Wild Card spot and sit just two games behind the Guardians for first place in the AL Central.
Before the season, it was reasonable to assume the South Siders would be among the sellers at the deadline. With their impressive start, however, the conversation has shifted. Chris Getz himself hinted at the possibility of being a buyer in a recent segment with MLB Network.
Jeff Passan, Senior Insider for ESPN, recently published his early 2026 trade deadline preview. In the piece, he suggests Angels left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers as possible trade option for the White Sox.
Potential Fit With White Sox
Detmers, 26, was selected one pick ahead of Garrett Crochet in the 2020 draft. The 6’2, 210-pound lefty has had stretches of performing well as both a starter and a reliever at the MLB level, but has never put it all together for a prolonged period. That lack of consistency has prevented him from reaching his full potential to this point.
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As a starter so far in 2026, he has had another fascinating season. His 4.63 ERA in 12 starts is nothing special, but the numbers underneath the hood provide more intrigue. He has struck out 82 in 68 innings, walking only 22. Detmers has been well above average in generating whiffs and strikeouts with a 28.5 K%, thanks to his slider becoming a legitimate weapon.
His age and contract status add to his intrigue. Despite already accumulating parts of six major league seasons of service time, he is still just 26 years old and is under team control through the 2028 season. 2026 has also been his best year yet from a peripherals perspective, with his trajectory pointing up. Flashes of his potential ceiling were recently on display when he struck out 14 over 8 innings the Rangers on May 24th.
Reid Detmers becomes the first @Angels pitcher to strike out 14 in a game since Andrew Heaney in 2019 👏 pic.twitter.com/CZOi2U0MYl
— MLB (@MLB) May 25, 2026
Why It Makes Sense For Both Sides
The fit is obvious from the White Sox perspective. The team has exceeded expectations to this point but more pitching is needed if they want to make a serious run. Detmers would immediately slide into the starting rotation, providing another starter capable of missing bats and eating innings. The fact that he has multiple seasons of control left is appealing to a young White Sox team that likely wants to avoid giving up assets for half-season rentals. As a left-handed pitcher with big stuff, he fits the player demographic the White Sox have historically been good at developing.
Trading a pitcher like Detmers makes sense for the Angels as well given where they stand. At 24-39, they are the worst team in the American League. Barring something unexpected, it feels unlikely that they will be able to play themselves back into the playoff picture. Detmers is the type of player who could fetch them multiple prospects as they look to get younger.
Potential Cost
The big question in this scenario is the White Sox would have to give up for Detmers given his strikeout stuff and 2.5 seasons of team control. It likely wouldn’t be all that cheap, but with a glut of infield depth and a replenishment of prospects coming in next month’s draft, they could construct a package for Detmers should they want to. Passan mentioned Royals pitchers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha and Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcántara as other potential fits. Considering his age, stuff, and contract, it feels like Detmers would be the highest upside option of that group.
Team To Watch
The White Sox are in an interesting position. They face a 12 game gauntlet of the Phillies, Braves, Dodgers, and Yankees over the next two weeks. If they can survive that stretch, a path to the playoffs through the division or wild card could be in reach. The team hasn’t been buyers in recent years, but this could be the year to put some of their chips on the table and try to compete in a very mediocre American League. Reid Detmers would be an intriguing addition now and moving forward as the White Sox look to become a permanent fixture in the postseason.
