The Angels were the most active team in the first few weeks of the offseason. They added a mid-rotation starter and a new designated hitter to upgrade the middle third of the lineup. They went oddly quiet after that, leaving them to enter the season with a roster that again seems too thin to hang in the race all year.
Major League Signings
- LHP Yusei Kikuchi: Three years, $63MM
- C Travis d'Arnaud: Two years, $12MM
- RHP Kenley Jansen: One year, $10MM
- 3B Yoán Moncada: One year, $5MM
- SS Kevin Newman: One year, $2.75MM (including buyout of '26 club option)
- RHP Kyle Hendricks: One year, $2.5MM
2025 spending: $47.25MM
Total spending: $95.25MM
Option Decisions
- None
Trades and Claims
- Acquired DH Jorge Soler from Braves for RHP Griffin Canning
- Claimed 1B Ryan Noda off waivers from A's
- Acquired 2B Scott Kingery from Phillies for cash (later designated for assignment)
- Traded C Matt Thaiss to Cubs for cash
- Selected LHP Garrett McDaniels from Dodgers in Rule 5 draft
- Acquired C Chuckie Robinson from White Sox for cash
- Traded RHP Davis Daniel to Braves for minor league LHP Mitch Farris
- Claimed RHP Michael Petersen off waivers from Blue Jays
- Acquired LHP Angel Perdomo from Braves for cash or a player to be named later
Notable Minor League Signings
- Shaun Anderson, Tim Anderson, Travis Blankenhorn, Connor Brogdon, J.D. Davis, Victor González, Dakota Hudson, Carter Kieboom, Sebastian Rivero, Yolmer Sánchez, Bryce Teodosio
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Griffin Canning, Patrick Sandoval (non-tendered), Brandon Drury, Matt Thaiss, Hunter Strickland, Kevin Pillar, Matt Moore, Adam Cimber (remains unsigned), Davis Daniel, Eric Wagaman (non-tendered), Jordyn Adams (non-tendered), Roansy Contreras (lost via waivers), Guillo Zuñiga (released), Kenny Rosenberg (released), Ryan Miller (released)
The Angels finished 63-99 under first-year manager Ron Washington, narrowly avoiding what would have been their first 100-loss campaign. Only the White Sox, Rockies and Marlins had a worse run differential. They have the longest active playoff drought in MLB at 10 years.
Shortly after the season ended, owner Arte Moreno told Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register that he expected to compete for a playoff spot in 2025. "(General manager Perry Minasian's) marching orders are we need to build a team that can compete for a playoff spot. When you get to playoffs, anything can happen," Moreno said. The owner indicated he was prepared to raise payroll to make that happen. The Angels had cut spending by more than $40MM over the 2023-24 offseason.
Expecting to add 20+ wins within one offseason, even with a payroll spike, is unrealistic. Still, the Angels began the winter with a sense of urgency that reflected a real desire to improve in the short term. They pulled off the first major trade of the offseason within hours of the World Series concluding. The Angels took the remaining two years and $26MM on Jorge Soler's contract off the Braves' hands. Los Angeles sent Griffin Canning, whom they were presumably planning to non-tender, the other way. Atlanta subsequently cut Canning themselves, confirming that was purely a salary dump on their part.
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I predict our first 100+ loss season in 2025.
Stop it! They are definitely built for 63 wins!
Rendon is out all season so you’re probably right.
i predict you’re wrong.
I hope your prediction of me being wrong is right.
The “Los Angeles” Angels have reached the point where the only thing that can save them is the law of averages.
@mlb fan. I believe in miracles and pecota.
The Angels have 11 players making a combined $105 million annually falling off the books over the next two years, Rendon’s anchor a huge chunk of that after 2.
This season should be all about letting young pitchers develop and finding some position players for when the team might be good again in 2027.
Looking at this season through any other lens is just asking for disappointment.
“11 players making”….A very coherent, well stated point. I do tend to agree.
I can’t really say Rendon and Stephenson are earning that money.
@HHJJ Agree to some extent that the Angels need to develop. Lugo and Paris have been the Angels best players this spring. Kavadas and Moore need to cut down on strikeouts. Kessler, Dana, and Aldegheri need to continue to improve. I also like Johnson as well, even though he gave up a HR today.
The other thing the Angels fans have to look forward to is the draft and the trade deadline. They have the 2nd pick in the draft. Also, Anderson, Jansen, and Rengifo could offer some return. Possibly Ward, but knowing the Angels, the Angels will probably hold on to him until next year.
GoogleMe: “The other thing the Angels fans have to look forward to is the draft and the trade deadline. They have the 2nd pick in the draft. Also, Anderson, Jansen, and Rengifo could offer some return.”
You do realize that you get the 2nd overall pick by being just terrible, right? I guess you are also “looking forward” to a similar pick in 2026?
What makes you think that hoping some marginal guys do well enough to use as trade bait is going to accomplish anything? Other teams are significantly better at identifying and developing talent. If they see something in an Angels player that can be fixed, they’ll make a low ball offer that we’ll take because we don’t know what we have or how to develop it anyway.
I do understand how draft works. Apparently, you do not. The Angels can’t have a similar pick in 2026. They are a large market team are are unable to pick in the top 10 picks in 2026, similar to the White Sox in 2025.
The Angels have been bad for a number of years, but I believe they have developed a number of players in recent years. For example, Carlos Estevez has became an effective closer by teaching him to pitch up in the zone. Ben Joyce improved greatly by learning a new pitch, the splinker. Brock Burke become an effective reliever just by changing where he stands on the pitching rubber from the end to the middle. The Angels have also identified an issue with Dana’s release point. Let see if they will have a positive impact.
The Angels have a number of issues that keep them from being competitive. First and foremost, is the owner. Part of it is mentioned above. They have over 75+ million tied up in Trout and Rendon. When you have so much money tied up in players that do not play, you are not going to be good.
The Angels pitching staff isn’t the strongest, but I believe this is as deep as they have been in about 10 years. There are steps in the right direction. However, the Angels will only truly take off once Arte sells the teams.
Yeah, you were “looking forward” to the 2nd overall draft pick and it’s me that doesn’t understand how drafts work.
You also are acting like the Angels will do something good with the 2nd pick. The Astros knew what to do with high draft picks during the years they intentionally tanked. That’s not what is going on here. The Angels couldn’t even capitalize on getting Trout with the 25th pick, or Ohtani for that matter.
Rendon was another stupid Moreno marketing move. More will be coming soon.
Trout has averaged a +6 WAR over his entire 14 year career and the Angels have zero playoff game wins to show for it. He got a huge long term contract because that was the only way to keep him. He could still bounce back a bit. But if Ohtani playing MVP two-way didn’t get us into the post season, a bounce back year by Mr. Trout won’t ether. If he never plays another game he still deserves a bronze statue at the Big A. No matter how far he declines as he ages, Moreno won’t eat the contract. That is on Moreno, not Trout. He is a gift from the baseball gods that Moreno has squandered. I feel honored to have seen him play over the years.
The Angels haven’t had a winning season in nine years. They also have one of the worst farm systems in the MLB They operate blind because Moreno cut corners on scouting, medical and player development. You defending their player development track record, citing marginal improvement by marginal players, is laughable.
I’m surprised you acknowledge that Moreno needs to sell. Because you sound like someone right out of his PR department.
You clearly do not know how the draft works. You already said the Angels will have a similar pick in 2026 as they do in 2025., I already explained that this is not possible Instead educating yourself,, you double down.like you know something.
I never said anything good about Arte, but to you I sound like someone from his PR department? He IS the reason the Angels are in the position they are. Things will not get better until he is gone.
You claim it is player development. I named multiple marginal examples. Yet you name no examples of a player leaving the Angels and being developed by another team. Surely, you must have some examples to support your claims.
Yes, I am looking forward to the draft. As bad as the Angels have been, they haven’t picked this high since 1995. In 1995, they picked Darrin Erstad with the #1 overall pick. In 1997, they picked 3rd and picked Troy Glaus. When you pick this high, you have a far greater chance at finding a difference maker than picking around 10th.
Ok, you got me. After nine years without a winning season and 14 years with no playoff wins…..the big market Angels still have one of the most consistently poor farm systems and we did poorly enough last season to “earn” a 2nd overall pick. They are really great at player development. This is proven by your identifying a few marginal players that you think they have helped improve marginally, helping us barely avoid a 100 loss season in 2024. I foolishly was focusing on things like terrible season records, so thank you for your identifying how we should be looking forward to things like some of our players doing well enough to trade at the deadline. This is going to be one fantastic season. I’m going to try and send as much of my money Moreno’s way as I can in order to support more of this great team direction.
You seem to be a “whoever posts last wins” kind of person. So, go for it! Have a great weekend.
Yeah because they always hit on free agent signings.
Free agency is a double edged sword that cuts both ways. Personally, I’m awfully glad the Angels will soon gain salary relief.
But, until the Halos start drafting, assessing talent and developing better, it really won’t matter how much payroll money is freed up.
Hence the need to keep Detmers, Kochanowicz, Dana, and Klassen in the fold and add to them via trades and the draft.
Kyren Paris, Matthew Lugo, and Christian Moore look like they could add to Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe at the MLB level in a year or so.
Trading Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo, and Tyler Anderson should both free up cash and add to the prospect pipeline.
The team really needs to hit on the 2nd overall pick in the draft and again at 47. I’d love to trade one of the above for a comp pick if possible.
There’s a lot that needs to go right, but some nice looking pieces as well. Ideally the team doesn’t need to hit on a ton of free agents after a couple of years.
@darren. The last one they did was rendon. I literally can say 3-4 players from every team. I get it free agency isn’t the way to build a team
@pronklington. Not sure if noda makes the team. That’s kinda how moancada was in spring training. had 9/10 walks in three games with a .000 avg. I guess it depends if rengifo lands on the dl. He’s been playing so who knows.
Clubs that improve drastically usually have 4 components:
* Breakout season (or 2) from young veterans (Glavine, Ian Kennedy, Mike Norris, Tony Armas, Matt Garza)
* A run-of-the-mill free agent signing that works out (JJ Putz, Terry Pendleton, Seth Lugo, Pudge)
* A “surprise” rookie (Mike Hargrove, Longoria)
* Health/Luck
It’s not always obvious before the season, because none of these names were expected to be difference makers in March.
Detmers finally breaks out!
Maybe Kanley solidifies the bullpen.
What if Kyren is a surprise rookie?
Maybe Trout is healthy all season and hits 45 HR’s.
Or….forget it…maybe I’ll be watching football in September…
Anyone know whatever happened to Evan White? The Angels picked him up last offseason from Atlanta (who flipped him from Seattle) in the Fletcher/Stassi deal. The Angels took on his contract but has yet to play a minor league game nor appear in spring training.
@orange2001. Good question i brought him up last year, and was told he was hurt. Did they just acquire him for insurance money?
He’s rehabbing with Anthony Rendon’s trainer.
It’s just 42 PA against competition that averages out to AA-caliber.
His K rate in ST is consistent with his K-rate throughout the minors while his BB rate in the minors is not so different that it’s surprising: He would have taken about 8 BB under conditions this spring consistent with his minor league numbers, whereas here he faced a couple of wild pitchers and took half a dozen more walks. Impressive, in its way.
@jackstrawb. Noda was probably playing against aa players more often because he came in late to games. So good point. It’s close to mlb guys now. I watched a a’s game early on, and he plunked two guys before he ultimately hit trout, obviously wasn’t ready to be in spring training or was the ball boy. The weird thing was it was the third inning.must’ve been a split squad from the a’s
@Rexhudler86 Thanks for the details–good color there. Btw, some sites including Baseball-reference (no paywall or subscription required) compute the level of the pitchers / hitters faced by hitters / pitchers throughout ST. Very handy evaluation reduced to a single figure under “OppQual” in a player’s “2025 Spring Training Stats” on each individual player’s page.
I will be opto mystic and predict that the angels win it all in 2025. Big story, trouts first World Series, and then a win over the dodgers. Big news.
Arte Moreno signed Washington, game over. Enjoy everything going the angels was 25. Remember the titans, remember the 02 angels, with Shawn Wooten
The angels way is keep you head in the game
Offensive Production:
The Angels have made efforts to add veteran hitters, but there are concerns about their overall impact. The loss of Ohtani is very hard to overcome. The addition of Jorge Soler is a positive.
Grade: C-
Starting Pitching Stability:
The Angels have added pitching depth, but questions remain about the consistency and health of the rotation. There are some good moves, like the signing of Yusei Kikuchi, and Kyle Hendricks. But, there are still many questions.
Grade: C
Defensive Improvement:
Moves have been made to strengthen the defense, but consistent performance will be crucial.
Grade: C+
Roster Depth and Versatility:
The Angels have aimed to increase roster depth, which is a positive step.
Grade: B-
Overall Evaluation:
The Angels’ offseason reflects an effort to address key needs, but significant challenges remain. Overall, they would likely receive a grade in the C range.
A realistic win projection for the Angels would be in the 70-77 win range.
They are better but how much? Soler and Trout provide 30 plus pop with Ward-Neto-Ohoppe plus Addell all 20 plus potential. If healthy, all comes down to pitching. I do like Soriano-Kochanowets-Detmers-Klassen-Dana-Joyce -Johnson as the future.
Perry needs to sign Ron Washington to a 4 year contract.
This team is not a playoff contender despite Arte Moreno’s directive; as a fan I was happy with the quiet offseason. This team is stuck in neutral until Rendon comes off the books after the 2026 season. If Trout can stay healthy they will likely finish this year with low 70’s in wins.