Angels' Bullpen Needs Overhaul If Club Looks To Take Step Forward

As you’d expect after the franchise's first 100-loss season, the Los Angeles Angels need help across the board. With so many cracks in this roster, the need for bullpen help is glaring. If the Angels want to make a significant step forward in 2027, the bullpen needs to be addressed this winter.

The bullpen’s 4.47 ERA this year grouped them in with the worst in baseball. Those numbers only get worse when you take a deeper dive into save opportunities.

The Angels only logged 25 saves in the entire year, the lowest in 2026 and the third-lowest since the shortened 2020 season. That number is ugly, but it’s made much worse when looking at their total opportunities in game-clinching scenarios.

They had 55 save opportunities this year, and their 25 saves highlight a percentage that falls below 50% by a wide margin. At a 45.5% save rate, the Halos were the worst in baseball at closing out games, with no other team blowing more saves than they were recording.

It comes just one season after the Angels led baseball in blown saves in 2025. The history of poor bullpens in Anaheim is not a coincidence, but rather a pattern that has plagued the club for years on end.

Going out and getting bullpen arms may not be as exciting, but its impact on winning baseball games is undisputed. It’s time for the Angels to put together a competent bullpen for the 2027 season if they have any hopes of crawling out of the 100-loss hole they’re currently stuck in.

There are some solid pieces in the pen for the Halos, but they must bring in proven arms to make them a serious threat in the late stages of games. Under a new owner, perhaps they’re more likely to sign some of these proven relievers this winter.

Of course, there are the top reliever names in the game, such as Adrian Morejon, David Bednar, and Taylor Clarke ot name a few. Landing any of the premier bullpen arms would be amazing, but they’re likely to sign with a team with eyes on postseason baseball next fall.

In that case, there are still many options for the Angels to rebuild their bullpen. Andrew Kittredge, Gregory Soto, and Jason Adam are some names a tier lower who could be enticed by a big offer from a desperate Halos team.

I could go on and on with names that would improve the Angels’ bullpen, but you get the point. The talent is available, but the Angels’ front office needs to go out and grab them. If not, it’ll be another embarrassing season in which they finish at or near last in several statistics.

In my opinion, that era of Angels baseball has closed. It’s time to start the next chapter under new owner Stan Kroenke and become a serious baseball club again. Building a serviceable bullpen and being able to close out games is a critical component of that.