Angels seek rotation help. Could a veteran right-hander, fresh off a strong playoff showing, become their next valuable addition?
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the busiest teams this offseason, involved in several trades and even more free agent signings, but there’s likely more to come. There are still several holes on the roster that need addressing, and the front office seemingly has the money available to address them sufficiently.
One of the glaring issues with their roster is the back-end of the starting rotation. Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, right-hander Jose Soriano, left-hander Reid Detmers, and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez are a decent-enough front four, but there’s no question that the Angels need some rotational depth to support them.
There are still plenty of starting options available in the free agency pool, even with less than three weeks before pitchers and catchers report to camp. This bodes well for the Angels, as they do not need to panic to fill out their rotation. With plenty of targets still left, it’s just a matter of which one general manager Perry Minasian chooses to target in the coming weeks.
Top names like Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are still looking for deals, but the Halos are a long shot to land one of the stars, considering their recent history of losing and preference for one-year deals. After the clear-and-away top two starters, names like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Lucas Giolito draw attention.
One more name, right-hander Chris Bassitt, likely has the best chance to land in Anaheim out of all remaining free agent starters. In a recent story from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, the Angels were tabbed as one of the teams that Bassitt could end up with by spring training.
Bassitt would prefer to join a contending team this winter, but the market doesn’t seem to be there for him this time around. Instead, he may have to settle for a short-term deal with a rebuilding team. In such a case, he’d become a good asset at the trade deadline and get a chance to join a contender in the midst of a postseason push.
In 2025, Bassitt held his ERA just under 4.00 across 32 games. Soon turning 37 years old, Bassitt has seen a slight regression over the last couple of years, but he still offers a reliable arm. He grabbed the attention of the baseball world during the Toronto Blue Jays’ World Series run in the fall, making seven appearances in relief and posting a 1.04 ERA and 0.58 WHIP.
He’ll return as a starter in 2026, but he’ll be hoping his most recent showing can help him land a solid deal in free agency. With their available money, the Angels could be the lucky team to land the former All-Star.