The Los Angeles Angels have plenty of issues to address this offseason if they’re to claw their way out of last place in the AL West in 2026, but ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez provided a concerning update on their offseason plans.
“Angels owner Arte Moreno is always prone to change his mind, but at the moment, the expectation is that he won’t be spending big this offseason, especially with the civil trial related to Tyler Skaggs’ death continuing,” Gonzalez wrote. “That leaves general manager Perry Minasian with few options to fill a variety of holes throughout his roster, most notably: third base, second base, center field, starting pitching and the back end of the bullpen.”
“The Angels are one of approximately 30 teams in search of pitching depth at this moment. Their offensive needs, though, are more specific: the Angels would like some left-handed bats. At the moment, first baseman Nolan Schanuel is their only hitter capable of providing consistent production from the left side. Free agents Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham would be ideal fits but are not expected to be in the Angels’ price range. Minasian will need to be creative”
The Angels can make do at second base with Christian Moore set to enter his sophomore season, and may well be able to settle for Bryce Teodosio in center field after his solid defensive displays to end 2025. The biggest issue for the Halos is the absence of quality at third base.
Luis Rengifo, who plays both second and third, is currently a free agent, and may be the Angels answer having spent his entire MLB career in Anaheim. He could serve as a stopgap for a season or two while the Angels sort out their farm system, and is still a solid option for a cheap price.
As far as pitching goes, the Angels need to find a starter to fill out their rotation following Kyle Hendricks and Tyler Anderson’s departures and could use some bullpen arms as well. This year’s free agency class has plenty of serviceable starters for a reasonable price, but finding a closer to replace Kenley Jansen may be a tall task.
Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Devin Williams, and Pete Fairbanks are among the best closers in the class, and all four may command too much for the Angels. The Angels experimented with several prospects in 2025, and could keep many of them at the MLB next season as they attempt to improve on consecutive last-place finishes.
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