The Angels went into the offseason with obvious holes, none bigger than in their starting rotation. They began to ease that problem with the trade for former top prospect and potential ace Grayson Rodriguez, a heist so clear that it may just have saved Perry Minasian’s job in Anaheim.

Nonetheless, they still have a need for a fifth starter and very well could focus most of their now-increased budget on finding a true front-of-the-rotation starting pitcher in free agency. However, even if they do, they will need to be sure to have pitching depth ready. Rodriguez will likely be on an innings limit, and one injury in the rotation could derail a potentially solid 2026 campaign in Anaheim. 

Luckily, the Boston Red Sox may have just given the Angels a chance at finding the perfect starting pitcher to fill out their rotation for 2026 and beyond. 

Angels could fill out rotation with Red Sox mistake 

The Red Sox – along with the Angels and every other team – had to finalize their 40-man roster last week ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. For some reason, they decided to leave Hayden Mullins off of their 40-man, making him eligible to be scooped up next month. And the Angels should have him as their top target going into the Rule 5 Draft due to his ability to make a diffence in 2026 and beyond. 

In 2025, Mullins started 18 games in Double-A and posted a 2.44 ERA. He struck out 96 batters in 84.2 innings pitched and had twice as many strikeouts as walks. The Red Sox have a plethora of pitching prospects, with many having debuted or on the brink of debuting. That made Mullins expendable (despite calls for his debut in 2025 as well), and a potential diamond in the rough for another team in the Rule 5 Draft. 

The Angels can afford to take a swing on Mullins. While he has not pitched a single inning in Triple-A, this is the same organization that had Ryan Johnson as an Opening Day reliever despite never pitching in the minor leagues. While that didn’t exactly work out, the organization is willing to bet on talent working out in the big leagues, and Mullins has found success throughout his minor league career. 

The southpaw had Tommy John surgery in 2022, and has steadily increased his effectiveness since returning to the mound. And if the Angels do find their ace in free agency, Mullins can operate as a long-reliever until he is needed in the rotation. He does not stun with velocity, sitting in the low-90’s, but solid breaking balls and a deceptive delivery have helped him progress through the lower levels of the minors. He did not have a clear path to Boston anyway, especially now in the wake up the Sonny Gray trade.

And the Angels should do everything they can to be the team to find if that delivery can survive in the big leagues. Because if it can, they’ll have found a diamond in the rough that could be a part of their rotation in 2026 and beyond.