The Cleveland Guardians are in a curious position heading into the July 30 MLB trade deadline.
They are first in their division, with a roster ready to compete now but with severe flaws, particularly in the rotation and offense.
Their farm system is very solid, but many of their prospects are either helping at the MLB level already or play a position that could become a need soon.
The Guardians, as a result, might not have the same willingness to deal their prospects as, say, the Baltimore Orioles, or some of the most aggressive teams like the Seattle Mariners or Los Angeles Dodgers.
This, coupled with the fact that the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers are unlikely to deal Garrett Crochet and Tarik Skubal, respectively, makes Cleveland unlikely to bring in the ace they need before the deadline.
They will need to get creative, though, and target young, talented pitchers with untapped potential.
Enter Reid Detmers.
Guardians reporter @JL_baseball suggested the name on Twitter, and it could make sense for the right price considering he is currently in Triple-A.
“The Reid Detmers market is one worth watching. With Crochet/Skubal unlikely to be moved, Detmers might be the most attainable controllable starter. But he needs some tweaks to get back to full potential. + LAA hasn’t sold recently, so that piece is new,” he wrote.
The Reid Detmers market is one worth watching. With Crochet/Skubal unlikely to be moved, Detmers might be the most attainable controllable starter. But he needs some tweaks to get back to full potential. + LAA hasn't sold recently, so that piece is new.
— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) July 26, 2024
With all due respect to the Los Angeles Angels, their coaching and player development doesn’t compare favorably to that of the Guardians.
Detmers is a good low-risk, high-upside target the Guardians should be looking for to fill their rotation.
He has a 6.14 ERA in 2024 and that might scare some teams away, but his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is a much more decent 4.30 and he has 70 strikeouts in 63 frames.
There is a good chance that a move away from LA to Cleveland, with a much smarter organization and better defense, unlocks Detmers’ full potential.
He has three years of arbitration after 2024 and is 25 years old.
Ideally, he wouldn’t be the best starter Cleveland acquires, though.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Reveals Immediate Plans For Travis Bazzana
