This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger's Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
ANAHEIM -- Coming off a season that saw them go 72-90 (including 8-18 in September), the Angels have plenty of needs to address this offseason.
So far, they’ve made two additions to their pitching staff, both of whom have upside but also injury concerns, in trading for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez and signing right-hander Alek Manoah to a one-year deal worth $1.95 million. But now is the time when things usually start to heat up, with the annual MLB Winter Meetings being held from Monday to Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.
The Angels still need to add more pitching, and they are looking for a third baseman and possibly a center fielder. One interesting wrinkle is whether they can work out a deal with third baseman Anthony Rendon to improve their financial flexibility this offseason. ESPN reported last week that the club and Rendon had been in talks to defer the $38 million left on his deal, and he’d retire after undergoing left hip surgery that cost him the 2025 season.
The Angels weren’t expected to be as aggressive this offseason with Rendon’s contract on the books. But if they can work out a deal, it could change things for the Angels, who also saved money by trading Taylor Ward for Rodriguez.
Here’s a look at what you need to know heading into the Winter Meetings:
Key Events
• Sunday: HOF Classic Baseball Era Committee results released
• Tuesday: MLB Draft Lottery
• Wednesday: Rule 5 Draft
Club needs
The Angels acquired Rodriguez and signed Manoah, but neither pitched in the Majors in 2025, so Los Angeles is still in need of more starting pitching and bullpen help. The Angels remain likely to add at least one starter to the mix -- and they also need to find a closer, with veteran Kenley Jansen a free agent.
The Angels saved roughly $13-14 million by trading Ward for Rodriguez, and they could use some of that money to spend on pitching. But they are also still looking for a third baseman to replace Rendon and possibly a center fielder. There’s also a chance they pivot and target a second baseman, like Luis Arraez, but that would mean moving youngster Christian Moore off second base, which they might be reluctant to do.
One center-field option that could’ve made some sense came off the board on Wednesday, when Cedric Mullins agreed to a one-year deal worth $7 million with the Rays. Cody Bellinger would be a perfect fit, but he could be out of the Angels' price range or could look to sign with a more guaranteed contender.
Potential trade candidates
The Angels already traded one outfielder in Ward and could look to see what kind of return they could get for Jo Adell, who is coming off a breakout season and has two years of control left. But it might be too big of a blow for the offense to lose both Ward and Adell in one offseason, as the two combined for 73 homers and 201 RBIs last year.
Jorge Soler also could be a trade candidate, because he’s best suited as designated hitter, and it’s still unclear how much right field Mike Trout will be able to handle next year. Soler, though, is owed $16 million, so the Angels would likely have to eat some of his contract.
Otherwise, the Angels are not too likely to trade any of their top prospects, as they’re still trying to develop a young core.
Prospect to know
Right-hander Tyler Bremner has yet to throw a pitch for the organization, but he is ranked as the Angels' No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline after being taken as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. But he dominated at UC Santa Barbara and is considered close to being big league ready. Knowing the Angels’ history with top prospects, you can’t rule out Bremner making his debut at some point in ’26.
Rule 5 Draft
The Angels took lefty Garrett McDaniels last year but returned him to the Dodgers in June. They have plenty of spots open on their 40-man roster if they want to take a shot at another young arm.
One burning question
Having saved money by trading Ward and reportedly trying to defer Rendon’s last year of his deal, the Angels now have some flexibility to make some noteworthy additions this offseason, so it’ll be interesting to see how much they decide to add to their young core. General manager Perry Minasian still hasn’t said where the payroll will end up, so the question remains how aggressive they will be the rest of the winter.