The Angels’ roster churn is only getting started.
With the season over and the organization already leaning hard into its youth movement, a long list of familiar names is headed for the exit. Some are free agents once the 2026 World Series ends. Others are the kind of underperforming holdovers a club like this can’t keep carrying.
The clearest case is Ryan Stephenson. He may go down as Perry Minasian’s most disastrous signing, and the numbers make the argument easy.
Stephenson did not throw a single inning in two of his three seasons with the Angels, and his $11 million salary was pure dead weight. Picking up his $2.5 million option would be a mistake, plain and simple.
Anthony Rendon is in a different category, but the result is the same. He stayed on the roster all season, even after the Angels and Rendon agreed to spread out his remaining money over five years.
He occupied a spot until he could be moved to the 60-day injured list at the first chance. The club had hoped to use the payroll flexibility to bring in help, but that never happened.
Now that roster spot is open for someone who might actually contribute.
There are also a handful of veterans who simply ran out of runway. Amed Rosario, 34, had to settle for a minor league deal last offseason, which was a surprise at the time. He gave the Angels 0.4 bWAR in 66 games on a $1.75 million salary, but he won’t be back on the 2027 roster.
Travis d’Arnaud’s two-year, $12 million deal has also expired. He was brought in to back up Logan O’Hoppe and help mentor him, but an OPS+ of 31 just didn’t get it done.
With Moises Ballesteros arriving in a major trade-deadline pickup, the soon-to-be 38-year-old may have already played his last game. He’s widely viewed as a future coach or manager in MLB.
The same goes for the 35-year-old backup catcher, who posted a -0.7 bWAR and an OPS+ of 26. He is considered a premium receiver behind the plate, and that likely played a role in the Angels’ rotation taking a big step forward after the deadline. He would make sense on a minor league deal, but there won’t be a roster spot waiting for him next season.
And then there are the players brought in by Perry Minasian who never lived up to the billing. The Angels lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history for a reason, and part of that mess is the group of additions that never solved anything.
Brock Burke was shipped out in a deal for Josh Lowe, who was supposed to give the Angels an outfielder capable of handling center field. Instead, Lowe didn’t hit, posted 0.1 bWAR, and was poor defensively.
He’s an obvious non-tender candidate despite having a minor league option left, and it makes little sense to pay more than $3 million for a player who would end up in Salt Lake City.
That leaves a trio of depth arms whose futures are far less certain. All three arrived after being cut loose elsewhere, and none has any guarantee of sticking around. Depending on how many new pitchers the Angels bring in and how many players they protect in the Rule V draft, any or all of them could be off the 2027 roster as well.
In Other News...
Former Angels Utilityman Calls It A Career At 31
Tyler Wade is calling it a career at 31, closing the book on a nine-year major league run that took him from the Yankees to the Angels, then on to the Athletics and Padres. The versatile infielder-outfielder appeared in 507 big league games and finishes with a .216/.294/.284 batting line and 51 stolen bases, a profile built more on speed, defense and flexibility than on offensive production.
For Angels fans, Wade is another reminder of how important the utility role can be over the grind of a long season, even if it rarely brings much spotlight. In his retirement statement, he thanked the clubs and teammates he played with along the way, leaving behind a career that moved quickly, adapted often and now ends with a simple farewell to the majors. [Read more 🡒]
Angels May Have To Chase Upside Instead Of An Offseason Splash
With ownership in transition and a lockout looming after the season, the Angels appear headed for a quieter offseason than fans might hope. Instead of chasing the kind of splashy headline move that usually dominates this time of year, the front office is more likely to sift through the trade market for younger players who can still be molded into useful pieces.
That puts the focus on former top prospects who might be available at a reasonable cost, with Brett Baty of the Mets drawing mention because of his improved recent play and defensive versatility. The Angels could also explore similar fits such as Anthony Volpe if the price aligns, which would reflect a broader strategy built more on upside and value than certainty while the bigger roster questions remain unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Enter Offseason With Two Massive Questions Under New Ownership
With new ownership taking shape, the Angels are heading into the offseason with the front office still in flux. Interim general manager John Mozeliak said his own future beyond December is uncertain as he waits for direction from above, even as he begins sketching out what the club needs next. That includes payroll decisions, possible trades and the kind of structural investment that has been lacking for years, from infrastructure upgrades to additions in the front office.
Mozeliak also made clear he would prefer to keep Kurt Suzuki in the dugout despite a 100-loss season, a choice that will be watched closely as the Angels try to reset without tearing everything down. There are roster questions, too, including a planned change for Mike Trout that would send him to left field. For a team trying to stabilize under new leadership, the biggest issue may be figuring out who is actually making those calls before the offseason gets moving in earnest. [Read more 🡒]