The Angels are loaded up for 2026, but are these aggressive moves enough to finally spark a winning season?
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the most active teams in baseball this winter, much to the surprise of many baseball fans. With plenty of moves made, there are still questions about what type of team the Angels can be and which direction they’re moving in. That’s why in a recent list from The Athletic, the Angels’ offseason landed in the ‘definitely doing … something’ tier.
The offseason officially began for the Halos when they traded outfielder Taylor Ward in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez from the Baltimore Orioles. After speculation of a Ward trade for a while, the Angels finally pulled the trigger that landed them a promising, but risky, young arm.
Since then, the Halos have signed several pitchers to add to their staff. Relievers Drew Pomeranz, Kirby Yates, and Jordan Romano will all be new additions to the bullpen at Angel Stadium in 2026. Former rising star Alek Manoah also signed with the Angels this winter in a move that brings the club a much-needed extra rotational depth option.
Under new pitching coach Mike Maddux, there’s reason to believe the Halos will have a much-improved season from the mound after being one of the worst teams in the league last season in terms of earned runs allowed.
The Angels have made a couple of other trades this offseason in addition to the Ward-Rodriguez deal. Sending outfield prospect Isaiah Jackson to the Boston Red Sox, the Halos acquired Vaughn Grissom to improve their infield depth.
Just last week, the Halos were also involved in a three-team deal with the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays that brought outfielder Josh Lowe to Anaheim and sent reliever Brock Burke to Cincinnati. Lowe’s addition to the outfield is a decent move that gives the club an extra option in an outfield that desperately needs help, and the hope is that he can get back to near league-average hitting with his new change of scenery.
Even with the countless trades and signings the Angels have made, there are questions being asked about how much these moves actually move the needle for the team. The Halos have been near the bottom of the standings for years now, and their new additions for 2026 don’t project to be anywhere near enough to spark any meaningful change in Anaheim.
While they’re making plenty of moves, many of which are objectively solid, it doesn’t quite mean the 2026 campaign will look much different from years past. More short-term deals that rely on bounce-back seasons or the continuation of a one-off good season don’t instill much hope in Angels fans after seeing how it has played out in recent years. Still, being active this offseason is better than doing nothing, as at least it’s bringing some excitement to Halos fans for the first time in quite some a while.