ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Angels made a trade at the Winter Meetings by acquiring utility man Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox on Tuesday, but general manager Perry Minasian expects to make several more moves this offseason to improve the club.
Minasian wouldn’t say where the payroll will be heading into next year, but he said the Angels plan to spend the money they saved by trading Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, believing ownership is willing to spend this offseason.
Minasian said he plans to reinvest the $13-14 million he saved by making the trade to help the team in other areas. He reiterated their interest in acquiring at least one more starting pitcher despite signing Alek Manoah and trading for Rodriguez, while they also are looking for relief help, a third baseman/second baseman and possibly a center fielder. Their payroll is currently roughly $40 million under last year’s mark and there remains a chance they could rework Anthony Rendon’s final year of his deal to have even more flexibility.
“It doesn't do us any good to get into specific numbers payroll wise, but we're very active and trying to improve the club,” Minasian said. “We're just going to do everything we can to improve the club, kind of see where it plays out in the offseason and continue to have conversations with free agents and continue on the trade market.”
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1. Starting pitching
Finding a durable veteran starter remains a top priority for the Angels, especially considering offseason additions Rodriguez (bone spur surgery) and Manoah (Tommy John surgery) didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2025. Manoah will also have to compete for a spot in the rotation and could end up in the bullpen. A veteran free agent like Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly or Chris Bassitt could make some sense and they also could look to explore the trade market.
2. Bullpen
Minasian also said he plans to add to the bullpen, but that he doesn’t necessarily believe he has to add an established closer to the mix. He pointed to their signing of Carlos Estévez three years ago as an example of signing someone with limited closing experience becoming a quality closer with the club. He also said he believes Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson can handle that role, noting that Stephenson will be ready for Spring Training while Joyce is still up in the air.
3. Center field/third base
The Angels are looking for a replacement for Rendon at third base, but the club could pivot to a second baseman and move Christian Moore from second to third. They’re also in the market for a center fielder, preferably a left-handed hitting one. Cody Bellinger would be a perfect fit and the Angels were mentioned as a possible destination by agent Scott Boras, but Bellinger might be out of the Angels' price range.
HE SAID IT
“Whether it's third or second [base], we're active everywhere for the most part,” Minasian said. “We didn't have the year we wanted to have. So there's a lot of opportunity to make the team better whether it's rotation, bullpen, infield or outfield.” Read more >>
DRAFT LOTTERY
The Angels weren’t eligible for the Draft Lottery because they pay into revenue sharing and can’t have a lottery selection in consecutive years after having the No. 2 overall pick last year. So despite finishing with the sixth-worst record, they received the No. 12 overall pick. Read more >>
RULE 5 DRAFT
MORE FROM THIS WEEK
• The coaching staff was finalized with the hires of Darryl Scott as assistant pitching coach, Dom Chiti as bullpen coach and Derek Florko as assistant hitting coach. Read more >>
• The Angels could look to defer the last year of Rendon’s contract but there are several hurdles to clear. Read more >>
• The Angels added a former top prospect in Grissom to the mix and he’ll compete for a spot as a utility man next year. Read more >>
GM’S BOTTOM LINE
“Every year, we're in a pretty good place from a payroll standpoint, when you look at the rankings and where we're ranked. And so there's money spent every year. [Owner] Arte [Moreno] and [his wife] Carole spend money every year. It doesn’t do me any good to say [where it’ll be]. We’ll see where the offseason takes us.” -- Minasian