The Los Angeles Angels have already made their fair share of moves this offseason, but even with spring training just weeks away, there could be one final significant move the Halos make before 2026 gets underway.
One more starting pitcher could be of great use to the Angels, as the rotation is scarily thin right now. The back of the rotation is currently relying on left-hander Reid Detmers to continue his production as a starter after being moved to the bullpen last season after his struggles in 2024. Then, the fifth spot will be occupied by either Alek Manoah or Caden Dana.
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Manoah was once one of the most exciting young arms in baseball, but has struggled since 2023 both on the mound and with injuries. There’s hope he can return to his Cy Young-level of production, but the Angels are takinga risk if they depend on an injury-prone former star.
If they don’t go with Manoah, it’ll be the 22-year-old Dana. He made his debut in 2024, but he’s struggled in his first 10 major league games, posting a 7.17 ERA in Anaheim. He may be one of the Angels’ most valuable young arms, but he hasn’t proven that he’s ready to be a regular starter in the bigs.
This leaves the Angels needing one more reliable arm, so they’re not dependent on a Manoah bounce-back season or a Dana career-year. There are still several free agents who can fill this role for the Halos, but Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly has left-hander Jose Quintana as the one for the job.
The Angels were labeled as the ideal landing spot for the 37-year-old. Quintana was an Angel back in 2021, but it didn’t go so well. He recorded a 6.75 ERA in 24 games, filing to finish the season with the club. Since then, however, Quintana has proved himself as a reliable starter once again, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the last four seasons.
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Quintana’s addition to the Angels’ starting rotation would help ease many of those questions surrounding Manoah and Dana, even providing some relief for Grayson Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched since 2024. Quintana ate over 130 innings last year for the Milwaukee Brewers across 24 starts. If he could be a league-average level pitcher across the same amount of innings for the Angels in 2026, their floor would be raised by a significant amount.
With question marks surrounding Detmers, Rodriguez, Manoah, and Dana, bringing in a veteran like Quintana as a consistent arm could be one of the Angels’ most impactful moves this winter.