The Los Angeles Angels will likely focus on pitching in the offseason, but the roster has holes everywhere that need to be filled.
After a solid stretch leading up to the trade deadline on July 31, the Angels found themselves within striking distance of a wild card spot in the American League, prompting the team to add depth instead of selling veteran pieces like Taylor Ward (who was recently traded to the Baltimore Orioles).
The decision didn’t work out, as the Angels finished the season with just 72 wins. Los Angeles went in a different direction with their two managers, Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery, signing former Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki to manage the squad in 2026.
The Angels need to revamp their entire pitching staff. Their starting rotation ranked 28th in Major League Baseball with a 4.91 ERA and the bullpen ranked also ranked 28th with a 4.86 ERA.
They won’t get very far without solid pitching, but they need to address their offense that ranked dead last in batting average (.225) and 23rd in OPS (.695). The outfield is now missing Ward, who walloped 36 home runs in 2025, and the infield isn’t set beyond shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel.
Los Angeles typically doesn’t spend a lot in free agency, making utility infielder Ha-Seong Kim a good target for Angels brass.
Kim only played 48 games in 2025 as he was dealing with rehabbing a torn labrum in his right shoulder as well as a back strain. Kim hit .234 with five home runs, 17 RBI and had a .649 OPS.
Obviously, those numbers on the surface aren’t ideal, but Kim is a good candidate to bounce back in 2026.
“In 2022 and 2023, Kim was a 5-WAR fixture with the San Diego Padres -- but that feels like a long time ago. After missing most of the past two seasons with injuries and bouncing between the Braves and Rays, Kim is seeking to piece back together his promise as a steady-fielding middle infielder with good contact skills and plate discipline,” ESPN’s Neil Paine wrote Wednesday. “He can look for inspiration in that department from [Ramon] Laureano, who was known for his combination of a good glove (albeit as an outfielder) and capable bat in Oakland before injuries and underperformance caused him to bounce around the waiver wire. Laureano landed with Baltimore to start the 2025 season, played well, then was shipped to Kim's old San Diego stomping grounds at the deadline, where he continued to hit at an above-average clip.”
Kim could slide in at second base to form a solid middle-infield duo with Neto and/or play some third base. This would be a low-risk, solid-reward scenario for the Angels.