What went wrong with Detwiler? (trade officially announced)

As much as I enjoy the Winter Meetings, it's always good to be back home. As I was settling into my aisle seat on Southwest Flight 144 out of San Diego yesterday afternoon, news broke that the Nationals had finally pulled off a trade. Dealing left-hander Ross Detwiler was not unexpected. Because he throws from the port side, he was attractive to plenty of teams. Because he can both start and relieve, other clubs valued that versatility. The return in the trade with the Rangers wasn't significant - a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Chris Bostick and right-hander Abel de Los Santos. And though Detwiler was a popular teammate, there were also whispers through the organization that it was better that he move on. Drafted sixth overall in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, Detwiler was one of the longest-tenured Nationals. Only shortstop Ian Desmond (a 2004 third-rounder as a high school senior by the Expos) and infielder Ryan Zimmerman (the fourth overall pick out of Virginia in 2005, the Nationals' first season in D.C.) had deeper roots. Few people remember that Detwiler made his major league debut in the same season he was drafted, working a scoreless eighth inning against the Braves on Sept. 7, 2007, following nine carefully monitored games for the rookie-level and high Single-A farm clubs. So what went wrong? Where did a one-time top pitching prospect hit a speed bump? How did a left-hander fall out of favor with an organization when southpaws are such a prized commodity? Make no mistake about it, this is a change-of-scenery deal. Detwiler, who turns 29 in March, needed a fresh start as much as the Nationals needed to ship him out. He wasn't going to prosper here, and no one wanted to go through another season where Detwiler hung in limbo, rarely getting a chance to pitch in high-leverage situations. The Nats stuck with him through right hip surgery that cost him most of the 2010 campaign. Then, when he went 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA in 33 games (27 starts) during the Nationals' 2012 charge to the National League East title, most people associated with the club thought Detwiler had turned the proverbial corner. But in 2013, he made two lengthy trips to the disabled list with a lower back strain and a bulging disk, missing 101 games. In between DL stints, Detwiler was ineffective, going 2-7 with a 4.04 ERA in 13 starts. Opponents hit .315 against him, as opposed to .241 the previous season, and he struggled with his command. When he couldn't get left-handed hitters out, red flags went up. When Matt Williams took over as manager before the following season, Detwiler again found himself in the mix for a rotation spot. But as spring training unfolded, it became clear that Williams wasn't convinced Detwiler was up to the challenge. Barely two weeks before breaking camp, Williams announced that the No. 5 starter derby was down to three right-handers: Tanner Roark, Taylor Jordan and Chris Young. When Young, a soft-throwing control specialist who was a non-roster invitee on a minor league deal, moved ahead of Detwiler in the pecking order, there were rumblings that Detwiler had not done nearly enough to impress his new skipper. The Nats, as always, loved the potential they had drafted and developed; but it was up to Detwiler to take the ball and get outs. Williams was careful not to characterize Detwiler's eventual move to the bullpen as a demotion, and spoke confidently about how dangerous a weapon his power arm could be in a variety of relief situations. To be fair, Detwiler hadn't done much to impress in the few starts he was given, and after Williams' proclamation, the lefty seemed even more out of sorts. Whether he rubbed his new manager the wrong way or his work ethic was questioned, Detwiler had an opportunity to earn his way back into the rotation mix - and he flubbed it big-time. He became a chicken-and-egg reliever, incapable of putting together effective outings because he was used sporadically and unable to get more regular work because he wasn't putting up the numbers to justify it. He made 47 relief appearances without starting a game and posted a 4.00 ERA. Detwiler was true to his splits, pitching better out of the 'pen and having better results against lefty batters, but never seemed to gain Williams' trust. When he was left off the postseason roster, with the Nats turning long-relief duties over to Roark since they didn't need a fifth starter, Detwiler wasn't happy. His wife's ill-timed tweet about having plenty of Nats gear to give away because she wouldn't be needing it didn't please the brass. Though there wasn't really a place for him on the 2015 roster, the Nationals tendered the arbitration-eligible Detwiler a contract to the surprise of some who thought they might just cut him outright. But in the end, Rizzo was able to get a couple of minor leaguers for Detwiler. Maybe this works out as well as the last time he traded with the Rangers, getting Roark as one of two players in exchange for infielder Cristian Guzman. In Texas, Detwiler will get the chance to start again, though there's really no guarantee he won't still be used as a swingman. He gets to break in another first-time major league manager, Jeff Banister, and he gets a fresh start in a new league. Detwiler is the baseball embodiment of the produce-or-perish mentality that has overtaken the game in an era where every statistic is dissected to the nth degree. There he was, his stock rising as he thwarted the Cardinals in a must-win Game 4 of the 2012 National League Division Series. Then came the injuries, the inconsistency, the inability to earn a new manager's trust and fewer opportunities to shine. When push came to shove, Detwiler just didn't pitch well enough when he needed to. Update: The Nats made the trade official this morning, announcing Detwiler has been sent to the Rangers for Bostick and de Los Santos.