Los Angeles Angels 2025-2026 Offseason Wish List
The Angels already kicked off their offseason by trading away outfielder Taylor Ward. What else may be in store in Anaheim this winter?
The offseason is underway, and the Los Angeles Angels have already made one of their annual surprise moves, only this time it was a pleasant surprise.
The Angels (finally) traded outfielder Taylor Ward, with one more year of team control, to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for former top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez. It was a move that I personally loved for the Angels. It’s a high upside, somewhat risky move that helps the Angels address their biggest need: pitching.
Although the offseason is starting out on the right foot for LA, there is a lot of work to be done. Keep in mind, this organization has not had a winning season since 2015 coming off a 72-win season that wasn’t exactly a step forward.
The likelihood that the Angels can construct a playoff team in 2026 is very slim, but they also don’t have many players to sell off. They are not a team that has embraced a full tear down recently, and I doubt that changes this winter.
Top Offseason Priorities For the Los Angeles Angels
Once Again, Address Third Base
I don’t think I need to explain the Anthony Rendon situation, past or present. You and I both know he will not be counted on to give the Angels anything more than a headache this season. Yoan Moncada was a decent option this past season, but, once again, he too could not stay on the field.
Right now, the Angeles do not have a single third base option on their 40-man roster that I would feel comfortable with to stick at third and hope he’s the answer. How about a prospect close enough to be an option? Nope.
Now, the issue is there aren’t many long-term fixes available. Alex Bregman is going elsewhere and Eugenio Suarez is 34 years old and likely seeking out a contender. We might be looking for another stopgap or rolling the dice on a lower-tier player.
Potential Free Agent Fits: Kazuma Okamoto, Miguel Andujar, Ha-Seong Kim
If the Angels go outside of the United States, Kazuma Okamoto could be a fit. Many think the 29 year-old is better suited at first or DH, but he has logged 835 games at third base and would be able to fill the need, at least for the time being.
The power dipped in 2025, but a .322/.411/.581 slash line still made him a valuable player.
Miguel Andujar feels like a natural fit for two reasons: The Angels have not shied away from offering players the length or overall money to bring in a player they really want, and Andujar’s positional versatility fits more than one need for this team.
While his defense is not great, Andujar has establishes his offensive the past few years and could fill third or left if the defense is not up to par. I think LA would give him the years he is looking for.
Lastly, Ha-Seong Kim. An injury-riddled season resulted in being DFA’d by the Rays and finishing the year in Atlanta. While a return to Atlanta still seems most likely, Kim would be the best long term(ish) option.
A plus defender and respectably bat is something this team needs. Would the Angeles give him the extra year he might be looking for? I think it’s worth it to fill such a massive need.
Remake the Bullpen
If you watched an Angels game last season, you likely saw the bullpen give up a number of runs. No matter which way you slice it, the production wasn’t there. Kenley Jansen is not longer an option, leaving few veterans and proven options on the roster.
Hopefully Ben Joyce can rejoin the bullpen and give them a leverage option. Robert Stephenson was decent once he returned from injury, but his health has been a major question. As much as I appreciate Brock Burke, they need more lefty options.
Not only do the Angels need quality, but they also need quantity. Leaning on young prospects who are not ready to give you innings should come to a stop, immediately. Add a few veterans and perhaps they can stumble into an arm that could be traded at the deadline to help boost the prospect pool.
Free Agent Options: Scott Barlow, Jalen Beeks (L), Dauri Moreta, Eli Morgan, Sam Hentges (L), John King (L)
You might notice a theme among the players listed above — players who were non-tendered or had options decline. For the most part, I think this is a group of pitchers with talent that need a bit of a runway to prove that they are either healthy or that 2025 was not who they really are.
From the left side, Hentges has only pitched 23.2 innings since 2023 and his injury past does scare me. But, he was effective in Cleveland, and for the Angels, what do they really have to lose?
Jalen Beeks and John King have both had success as well and would be offered a larger role than they might find elsewhere.
Eli Morgan, like Hentges, is a former Guardian who had success before injury derailed his 2025. It’s a three-pitch offering that can produce some swing-and-miss but mostly avoid barrels, leading to a relatively safe profile.
Finally, Dauri Moreta is the higher upside swing-and-miss option, although his command is shaky. Still, he could be a low-risk, high reward arm worth taking a shot on.
Trade Jo Adell
Every offseason, there’s an Angels player that floats around in trade proposals but never ends up getting moved. You would think I’d learn my lesson, but here I am suggesting an Adell trade.
Yes, the Angels have invested a ton in Adell, and his 37 home run season would be difficult to fill, but I think the front office needs to be honest with themselves.
How much do they truly believe in Adell’s 2025 season? The batted-ball data was elite, and I think he’s more than established his power in the league. But the strikeouts were still rough, the swing decisions didn’t improve enough, and defense continues to be a problem.
The Angeles have avoided trading these types of players in the past, and it is part of the reason their farm system is struggling. With two more seasons of team control, do they really want to tie money up by signing Adell to a long-term deal? Does he fit the current window? I don’t think so.
Capitalizing on his career year and moving him at his peak value in order to improve the system is the more responsible route. The reason the Angeles are where they are is because they too often took the less-responsible route. Let someone else find out who he truly is as a player and cash in.
Add a Veteran Starter
Assuming Grayson Rodriguez is good to go, the Angeles have a rotation consisting of Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, Grayson Rodriguez, Reid Detmers, and some combination of young arms filling out the fifth spot.
While I usually lean toward young arms in a non-completive year, I think too many of these options need more time in the minors.
To add on, I’m not sold on Detmers’ move back to the rotation. His 2025 season was a success because of his work out of the bullpen. Extra velocity and not facing the same batters multiple times in a game allowed Detemers to settle into a role that helped him succeed. I would not be surprised to see him return to that role at some point in 2026.
LA is going to need innings. What if Rodriguez is not healthy? Or what if someone else goes down with injury? Contending or not, running out a rotation of young arms who struggled in their small sample sizes and need more time in the minors is reckless.
Free Agent Options: Jordan Montgomery, Zack Littell, Nestor Cortes, Tyler Mahle, German Marquez
If the plan is to sign a one-year deal with hopes of dumping at the deadline, Jordan Montgomery, Nestor Cortes, or German Marquez are possible potions.
Montgomery had a bizarre stint in Arizona before getting moved to Milwaukee as a salary dump, where he never pitched due to injury. I still think there’s productive innings left in his arm, and a one-year, prove-it deal could net a decent return at the deadline.
Cortes is a similar story. He has a solid track record but is coming off an injury. Therefore, he’s likely looking for a modest one-year deal in hopes of showing he is healthy.
Those would be my preferred short-term options, while Marquez offers more of an innings-eating type of signing with some upside, but not as high as the aforementioned options.
If the Angels are willing to go multiple years I look to Tyler Mahle. The risk would be his injury history, but we all know the talent is there. He grew up in the area which always helps the pitch for a team who is not going to be contending.
This is the type of move that has not scared the Angeles away in the past and could return decent value.
Zack Littell’s market is harder for me to gauge. He’s a former reliever without electric stuff but has elite command and a floor any team would happy to make their fifth starter.
I think the Angels should be willing to give him the term he demands and at least know they have a veteran that can provide innings at a high floor for the next few years.
Final Thoughts
I’m sure Angels fans are not too excited about this offseason, but it’s the time of winter I feel the organization needs. Trading for bad contracts or taking a big swing is not the position they need to be in heading into the next few months. It’s time to focus on the future and make the responsible moves, even if a tear down is not going to happen.
Moving Ward was the right move, and getting Rodriguez back in return was a calculated risk that I’m glad they took. I don’t think they have many other non-core options, outside of Adell, that would net a return that makes too much sense right now. Maybe that changes by the deadline.
The Angeles need to find a way to avoid playing a bunch of 21-year-olds before they are ready. Saying that feels obvious, but it hasn’t been in LA. They must figure out a way to get out of this rut and constantly depleted farm system, and that starts by being realistic about where they are as a franchise.
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