The Los Angeles Angels made a plethora of offseason moves, but they haven't been warmly received, thus resulting in a poor final grade.
This season should be one filled with excitement for Los Angeles Angels fans, just based on how many moves they have made to try and fix the pitching staff.
The problem is most of the moves, with the exception of the Grayson Rodriguez trade, involved bringing in reclamation projects – guys that showed their worth in the past but have been down on their luck over the past season or two.
The Angels’ key additions include outfielder Josh Lowe (acquired from Tampa Bay Rays in three-team trade), Rodriguez (acquired from Baltimore Orioles), right-handed relievers Kirby Yates (one-year, $5 million deal) and Jordan Romano (one-year, $2 million), left-handed relievers Drew Pomeranz (one-year, $4 million) and Brent Suter (one-year, $1.25 million) and right-handed starter Alek Manoah (one-year, $1.95 million).
While they brought in more than they lost, it seems like the talent they lost will outweigh what they brought in unless some guys outperform expectations. Key departures include left fielder Taylor Ward (traded to Orioles), left-handed starter Tyler Anderson (free agency), right-handed reliever Kenley Jansen (one-year, $9 million deal with the Detroit Tigers), right-handed starter Kyle Hendricks (retired) and second baseman Luis Rengifo (one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers).
Fans should have hope that their new pitching coach, the highly regarded Mike Maddux, can get the most out of guys like Manoah who have gas left in the tank but need guidance.
Despite making a lot of moves, Owner Arte Moreno and General Manager Perry Minasian spent just over $20 million in free agency and ESPN’s David Schoenfield wasn’t too kind when writing about the current roster construction.
Schoenfield gave the Angels a D grade for the offseason.
“The Angels have 10 non-arbitration players under contract for 2026,” Schoenfield wrote Wednesday. “The ages of those 10 players range from 31 to 39. You're not going to win with that, unless you have a superstar group of young players, which the Angels don't have.
“What's even more amusing is the list of players signed to minor league contracts: Jose Siri, Jeimer Candelario, Hunter Strickland, Trey Mancini, Nick Madrigal. There's no harm in giving those players a look, but, as always, it just raises the question: What is the plan here?”
These moves haven’t been warmly received, but I feel like the Angels will be an improved team in 2026. Now, will they end Major League Baseball’s longest current playoff drought at 11 seasons? Probably not, but who knows. Baseball is a crazy sport, and worse teams have done more.
Remember, the Angels were in the mix for the American League wild card around the trade deadline, so maybe getting juiced up by the new coaching staff, which includes manager and former Angel Kurt Suzuki, will create some momentum this season.