A decade without playoffs, squandered stars, and a crucial decision point looms for the Angels' competitive future. What path will they forge?
The Los Angeles Angels haven't made the postseason in a decade, so fans are growing in patient in Anaheim, and rightfully so.
The failed tenure with both Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout was unfortunate, and now the hiring of new manager Kurt Suzuki on a one-year deal was also an interesting decision.
As the Angels get ready for the 2026 MLB season, a playoff berth - or at least fielding a competitive team - is something fans are certainly hoping for.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report had a New Year's Resolution for every team. For the Angels, he wrote: "Pick a lane!"
Here's why Rymer wrote that.
"The Angels somehow squandered the primes of both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, and now they're in "I'm not owned!" mode. Rarely do purported contenders look as utterly lost as they are right now. Then again, they did experience a nine-win swing from 2024 to 2025. Another one of those would at least make them a wild card contender. If that doesn't pan out, someone will need to get in Arte Moreno's ear and scream-beg him to finally blow it all up and start fresh—or even better, sell the team so someone else can."
The good news is that the Angels have been a bit active in free agency and the trade front, and here's a brief summary of their moves entering the 2026 calendar year.
-Signed RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Jordan Romano, RHP Kirby Yates; traded for RHP Grayson Rodriguez, 2B Vaughn Grissom
In the same breath, questions remain about whether or not the Angels will spend big money, and so far this offseason, they haven't done that.
The Angels did sign former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Kirby Yates to a one-year deal, which is a nice addition, but not the home run move fans are hoping for.
They also signed lefty reliever Tayler Saucedo to a deal, but it is likely a minor league deal and not one that is terribly exciting.
Sure, the Angels have been linked to several free agents, but they have yet to hit big on anybody this offseason and have been landing guys on smaller deals in hopes of hitting a home run or two.
Only time will tell, but the Angels certainly need to pick a lane and stick to it in one way or another as the offseason continues to chug along.