Three Big Questions the Angels Still Need to Answer Before 2026
Unless something dramatic happens between now and New Year’s Eve, the Angels’ 2025 season is all but wrapped. And while the holidays are a time for family, food, and maybe a little football, the Angels are staring down a different kind of wish list-one filled with roster holes, positional uncertainty, and more than a few lingering questions that could shape the course of their 2026 campaign.
Let’s break down the three biggest issues still facing the Halos heading into the new year.
1. What Will the Opening Day Roster Actually Look Like?
Right now, only a handful of names are locked into the Angels’ 2026 Opening Day lineup. Logan O’Hoppe behind the plate, Zach Neto at shortstop, and Nolan Schanuel at first base seem like safe bets.
Jo Adell will be in the outfield somewhere, and Mike Trout-assuming good health-will be in the lineup. Beyond that?
It’s wide open.
The infield could go a number of directions. If Christian Moore makes the roster, will he slot in at second or third?
If he’s not at the hot corner, then Denzer Gusman, Oswald Peraza, or Vaughn Grissom might be. The outfield picture is even more fluid, with Jorge Soler, Matthew Lugo, Bryce Teodosio, and Nelson Rada all potentially in the mix alongside Adell and Trout.
The rotation isn’t much clearer. Yusei Kikuchi looks like the early favorite to lead the staff, followed by some combination of Jose Soriano, Reid Detmers, Grayson Rodriguez, and possibly Alek Manoah or Caden Dana. That’s a group with talent, but also plenty of volatility.
The bullpen, at least, is starting to take shape. The additions of Drew Pomeranz and Jordan Romano add some veteran presence to a group that could also include Brock Burke, Ryan Zeferjahn, Robert Stephenson, and two of Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth, or Cody Laweryson.
There’s potential here-especially with so many young, hungry players fighting for roles-but there’s also a lot of uncertainty. For now, the Angels are a team with more questions than answers across the diamond.
2. Is a Big Move Still Coming?
So far, the Angels’ offseason has been defined by low-risk, high-upside moves. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does beg the question: is this just the appetizer before a main course?
There’s been no shortage of rumors. The Angels have been linked to several big names, only to watch them land elsewhere-Kenley Jansen to Detroit, Michael King to San Diego, Munetaka Murakami to the White Sox.
According to GM Perry Minasian, the team is still in the market for a center fielder and a third baseman (or possibly a second baseman, depending on how things shake out with Moore). And as always, more starting pitching wouldn’t hurt.
While marquee names like Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Framber Valdez may be out of reach, there are still some intriguing fits on the board. Cody Bellinger, with his left-handed bat and positional flexibility, checks a lot of boxes.
Kazuma Okamoto’s contact-oriented approach could be a better fit than Murakami’s power-first, strikeout-prone profile. And a reliable arm like Zac Gallen would bring much-needed stability to the rotation.
If the Angels can land even one of those players, it would go a long way toward transforming this offseason from a patchwork rebuild into something with real direction. But if they don’t? Well, fans have seen that movie before-holes filled by journeymen, and a season that never quite gets off the ground.
3. Is Stability Finally Within Reach?
For all the on-field uncertainty, one of the biggest hopes for 2026 is that the Angels can finally turn the page on the off-field drama that’s clouded the franchise in recent years.
Anthony Rendon’s contract is nearing its conclusion, even if the team doesn’t negotiate an early exit. The civil trial involving Tyler Skaggs has reached a settlement, though Major League Baseball has indicated it’s still conducting its own review.
There’s a new coaching staff in place, led by Kurt Suzuki, even if it’s only for one guaranteed year. And while Arte Moreno hasn’t made any moves toward selling the team, there’s at least some sense of steadiness-something that’s been in short supply in Anaheim.
That doesn’t mean all is quiet. The expiration of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement looms over the entire league, and the Angels still have plenty of internal decisions to make. But compared to the chaos of recent years, this feels like calmer waters.
The hope, now, is that the baseball itself can take center stage again. That the team’s young core can grow together. That the Angels can stop being defined by what’s happening off the field, and start building something sustainable on it.
The clock is ticking. 2026 is coming whether the Angels are ready or not. And while the roster may still be a work in progress, the questions they answer-or leave unanswered-over the next few weeks could shape the story of their season.