The Angels snag a lefty arm to bolster their uncertain pitching staff, aiming for much-needed depth in a low-risk, high-reward move.
The Los Angeles Angels have been one of the more active teams this offseason, especially in the bullpen department, but their starting rotation still lacks another solidified MLB starter.
They landed right-handed starter Grayson Rodriguez in a swap for outfielder Taylor Ward, but Rodriguez missed all of 2025 due to injury, meaning there are questions about his performance as he returns in 2026.
The back-end of the Angels' rotation is going to rely on either the resurgence of right-hander Alek Manoah, who also hasn’t pitched since 2024, or a career year from a young arm like Caden Dana, who finished with a 6.40 ERA in 7 games last season.
There are a lot of things that have to go right for the Angels to have a decent rotation in 2026, and that’s following a year in which they allowed the third-highest ERA in the MLB. If they want to give themselves a better chance, the Halos should look to add another solidified starting arm to their rotation.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently landed the Angels a left-handed starter, Eric Lauer, in a late-winter mock trade. Lauer pitched in 28 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025, 15 of which were starts. In 104 ⅔ innings, Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.
Lauer was a consistent starter for the Blue Jays from June to late August last season, where he held an ERA under 3.00 for most of that duration. Though he didn’t end the season as a starter, Lauer proved that he can once again be a rotational guy after missing all of the 2024 season. For a team like the Angels, the front office should be more than willing to take the chance on a guy like Lauer and his 4.13 career ERA and 127 starts.
The Angels haven’t been willing to spend more than $5 million this offseason on a player, making it reasonable for them to trade for Lauer and his $2.2 million salary in 2026.
The best-case scenario would be the Angels getting a middle-of-the-rotation starter that can provide some much-needed depth at the position. Worst case? Lauer doesn’t quite work out as a starter, but he provides some depth in the bullpen for the Angels. It’s a low-risk, high-reward move for the Halos, and it could be the perfect way to end a busy winter.