The Angels have lots of needs to improve the roster. Every fan has their wish list of players to add going into the offseason, here’s mine!
The Los Angeles Angels were by far the busiest MLB team in the first month of the offseason. Now that the holiday season is upon us, it is time to write up a wish list of players to add.
After constantly getting burned while shopping at the marquee free agent rack, team owner Arte Moreno has had the Angels operating in the mid- to low-player range for several offseasons now. Due to those tendencies, I will directly apply this strategy and stay away from all the blue-chip free agents available. The bad contracts of 1B Albert Pujols, OF Josh Hamilton, OF Justin Upton and 3B Anthony Rendon certainly keep him up at night from time to time.
A Second Baseman
The first avenue that the Angels need to address is finding someone to hold down second base. The position was a black hole in Anaheim all year long. 2B Brandon Lowe and 2B Gleyber Torres are the two guys that sit atop my list for this need. Lowe will need to be acquired via trade, while Torres is a free agent.
Lowe is coming off a 21 homer, 58 RBI, and 123 wRC+ campaign in 2024. He is signed to a six-year, $24 million deal with a club option for 2026. As his deal nears expiration and with the way the Tampa Bay Rays operate, trade conversations can easily gain traction. Torres put together a solid season and performed well for the New York Yankees in October. Similar second basemen around the league are unattainable at this moment. Jonathan India was traded to the Kansas City Royals, Nico Hoerner appears to be a building block for the Cubs, and Jake Cronenworth’s contract complicates any trade efforts.
Torres is the younger option who is poised to land a three-to-four-year deal in the open market. I wouldn’t be worried about either of these players blocking 2024 1st rounder Christian Moore. If Moore continues to hit, the Halos will find a spot for him in the Bigs. They began working with him as a corner outfielder before the end of 2024. Both options have been solid offensive producers throughout their careers. Let’s see if the Halos are up to the task.
Glove First
The case for 3B Josh Rojas is one based on defensive ability. Rojas put together a respectable season in Seattle but was non-tendered a couple weeks ago. Per Fangraphs, Rojas was worth 1.9 WAR while accumulating 7 defensive runs saved. He will hopefully arrive to aid a ball club that finished 2024 in the bottom five based on fielding percentage.
The Angels won’t be banking on Rojas for big production with the bat, as they’ll leave that up to 3B Luis Rengifo. Rojas’s role should be as a late-inning defensive replacement and spot starter, whatever is provided offensively is a bonus. The injuries along with lackluster performance of 3B Anthony Rendon in Anaheim will get him relegated to a lesser role in 2025. It’s time to turn the page and move in a different direction. Rojas and Rengifo should complement each other well.
Veteran Help Needed in the Pen
It seems like RP Aroldis Chapman is going to keep chucking filth from 60 feet, 6 inches until he’s 45. Chapman, now 36, remains the feared reliever he once was when he entered the league with the Reds. In 2024 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chapman threw just over 61 innings and saved 14 ballgames. He collected 98 strikeouts while holding a mean 37.1 K%. He would have been a strong option for the back of the Angels bullpen, but unfortunately, he signed with the Boston Red Sox yesterday. (Editor’s note: sometimes circumstances change between submission and publication.)
In 2024, RP Clay Holmes was an All-Star. Holmes has consistently thrown 63 innings per season dating back to 2022. This year, he had 30 saves and a 3.02 FIP for the AL champion Yankees. His sinker-slider mix molded him into one of the game’s most durable relievers after joining the Yankees. It is worth noting that Holmes blew 13 saves, causing the Yankees to remove him from the closer role late in the season. However, Holmes adjusted to his new assignment, performing well from that point into October.
Both relievers have been durable and have valuable experience. If times get turbulent with young RP Ben Joyce closing, either of these guys will easily help him shoulder the workload. If the Angels remain in a lull come trade deadline time, both guys will easily garner interest as high leverage relievers.
Holmes’s free agent contract will probably be in the two–three-year range.
Rotation Stabilizer with Upside
I’m not one to brag, but I sincerely had SP Yusei Kikuchi in my list of preferred targets when I began writing this article. Kikuchi had a remarkable second half with the Houston Astros after they acquired him at the trade deadline. After arriving in Houston, the Astros had Kikuchi double his slider usage. In his 10 starts with Houston, Kikuchi held a 2.70 earned run average and 3.07 FIP.
On November 25th, the Angels announced they agreed to terms with Kikuchi on a three-year, $63 million contract. The Japanese national was dominant down the stretch relying on his heavy fastball up in the zone and his filthy slider as a put away pitch. Anaheim is getting a durable starter who consistently takes the ball every fifth day. He made 29 starts in 2021, 20 in 2022, 32 in both 2023 and 2024. Durable performers are exactly what the Halo pitching staff needs, Yusei checks that right off.
Mid-Rotation Staple
SPs Nick Pivetta and Sean Manaea are both great options, however they both have the qualifying offer attached and if signed, Anaheim would surrender a draft pick. As previously stated, I won’t deviate from what their recent approach has been. They have been working on adding talent to the major league club all while keeping their draft picks.
2024 world champion SP Jack Flaherty is the most logical option that fills the mid-rotation role in Anaheim. The SoCal native split 2024 between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He had some durability concerns in his last couple seasons in St. Louis but rebounded nicely, making 29 starts in 2023 and 28 in 2024. Flaherty won 13 ballgames and finished up the regular season with a 3.17 ERA across 162 innings pitched. At age 29, he will more than likely command a three-plus year deal. If Anaheim were to miss, they will have to pivot towards the trade market if they want to improve the bottom-five pitching staff they had in 2024.
The Angels have aggressively added to their major league roster thus far. A rebuild is something that is nonexistent in their world. They have a good group of young players that need help to turn the team around. A playoff berth is still a stretch, but with the suggested additions you can raise the floor, and you might have a shot.
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