The annual MLB Winter Meetings are almost here and things should start to heat up for the Angels and other teams across baseball, as it’s been a bit of a slow start to the offseason so far.
Los Angeles, though, did make one significant move ahead of the Winter Meetings, acquiring right-hander Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles in exchange for left fielder Taylor Ward on Nov. 19. But the Angels still have plenty of needs and will look to improve the roster during the Winter Meetings, which will be held in Orlando, Fla., from next Monday through Wednesday.
They have plenty of room to make additions after they non-tendered catcher Sebastian Rivero and outfielder Gustavo Campero, giving them 33 players on their 40-man roster. Campero, though, was later signed to a Minor League deal on Wednesday to give the Angels some outfield depth after trading Ward.
They also could get another spot if third baseman Anthony Rendon’s contract is reworked, as ESPN reported that the club is working toward deferring the $38 million he’s owed next year, after which Rendon would retire after undergoing hip surgery that forced him to miss the 2024 season.
It would be a big relief for the Angels, as it would give them payroll flexibility after also saving roughly $13 to $14 million this year by trading Ward for Rodriguez, who isn’t arbitration-eligible just yet.
Third base was going to be a need either way because Los Angeles didn’t want to depend on Rendon after his injury concerns and lack of productivity in recent years. Rendon, 35, signed a seven-year deal worth $245 million before the 2020 season but played in just 257 games out of 870 over five seasons with the club, batting .242/.348/.369 with 22 homers and 125 RBIs.
The question is now how aggressive the Angels will look to be with the savings they made with the Ward trade and their possible deferred deal with Rendon. General manager Perry Minasian hasn’t said where the payroll will be relative to last season, only saying he believes ownership will do what it takes to make the necessary additions to field a competitive team. Currently, with Rendon still officially on the books, they are roughly $40 million under last year’s payroll.
Starting pitching and bullpen help remain a priority, even after acquiring Rodriguez, as he didn’t pitch last season and underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in August. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training, but he could be eased back into action this year. The only other starters who are locks for the rotation are right-hander José Soriano and lefties Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers.
“There's still a lot more work to do this offseason,” Minasian said after Los Angeles acquired Rodriguez. “Starting pitching is something we'll always look for. We're not done looking for starting pitching this offseason, so we're going to continue to look at that -- whether it be free agency or in trade -- and continue to add to that group.”
And with Ward out of the picture, the Angels are also expected to add another outfielder to the mix, preferably a center fielder who can hit from the left side. Cody Bellinger would be ideal but is likely out of their price range and could look to sign with a team with a better chance of contending. Otherwise, free agent Cedric Mullins could be a bounceback candidate.
“We'll continue to look, obviously,” Minasian said. “We have some depth in the outfield that we feel good about, and we have some versatility there. But we're still going to look for players to improve, areas to improve, and the outfield might be a spot now.”
At third base, Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez are the top free-agent third basemen, but both hit right-handed and will command large contracts. But one intriguing option could be Japanese third baseman Munetaka Murakami, who brings power from the left side and was posted on Nov. 8. But he’d be a risk given the increase in velocity he’d see in the Majors, and he will also have plenty of suitors that will increase the chances of him garnering a large deal.
A perfect fit in the lineup would be the left-handed-hitting Luis Arraez because he’d bring much-needed world-class contact skills. But the problem would be shoehorning him somewhere defensively, which could involve moving second-base prospect Christian Moore to third base.
“We'll look at every avenue to improve this club,” Minasian said. “We want to improve and want to take another step. And whether it's on the offensive side or the defensive side, on the mound, we'll look at all avenues.”