The Angels are staring at a handful of roster calls that look less like tough choices and more like cleanup work.
Josh Lowe sits near the top of that list. He’s heading into his second round of arbitration eligibility, with a projected salary of $3.2 million, and the return simply isn’t there.
Lowe has been a defensive liability and posted a wRC+ of 76, which makes that price tag hard to justify. The fit was awkward from the jump, especially after the Angels sent a quality reliever to get him.
That trade belonged to Perry Minasian, but the current regime is under no obligation to keep paying for it. Lowe’s value is tied more to the fact that he still has a minor league option remaining than anything he’s done at the big-league level.
Jose Siri is in a similar lane, even if the money is different. He’s also arbitration-eligible and projected at $2.3 million, a more manageable number.
Siri has long carried a reputation as a strong defender, but his defensive ratings fell sharply in 2026, and his 31.9% strikeout rate left a real hole in the lineup when he was in there. The Angels could keep him around as a fourth outfielder, especially given the organization’s lack of depth, but if they want him back, they may be able to do it for less than that projection once spring training gets closer.
Tyler Heineman is another arbitration case, and this one is a little easier to sort through. Heineman is a strong receiver behind the plate and earned credit for helping the Angels’ rotation improve dramatically down the stretch.
But his bat is a different story. He posted a wRC+ of 25, and with his 35th birthday already behind him, the Angels should be able to find an upgrade this winter.
He’s projected to make $1.5 million, modest by MLB standards, but if the club misses on the backup catcher market, he should still be around on a minor league deal in the new year.
Then there’s Kurt Suzuki, whose situation is technically different but functionally part of the same offseason cleanup. His contract runs out after the season, so the Angels don’t really need to “decide” anything.
The decision may come simply by letting the deal expire. There’s no urgency to settle the field manager spot before the bigger issues get handled, especially with a front office and minor league coordinator carrying far more weight right now.
Suzuki is popular in the building and was a push behind the pitching changes and data analytics that helped the team late in the year. But he’s also inexperienced, he managed the club’s only 100-loss season, and he came from the former regime. The likeliest outcome is the quiet one: the Angels let his contract run out, say good things about him, and then launch a fresh managerial search once a decision maker is annointed by new owner Stan Kroenke.
In Other News...
Angels Suddenly Have A Dream Trade Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Phillies latest postseason disappointment has reopened a conversation that seemed almost unthinkable not long ago, with their aging, pricey core suddenly drawing extra scrutiny. Bryce Harper sits at the center of it all, and the chatter has naturally spilled beyond Philadelphia because any discussion about a player of his stature forces teams to imagine the possibilities, especially for a club like the Angels that now has new ownership and a fresh chance to reshape its direction.
For Anaheim, the appeal is obvious: Harper alongside Mike Trout would be the kind of star pairing that instantly changes the look and feel of the roster. The contract complications are real, and nothing has moved into official territory, but the idea alone has made for an intriguing debate because it speaks to what the Angels could be if they decided to swing big this offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Prospects Suddenly Have A Chance To Speed Up Their Path
Jake Munroe and Arjun Nimmala are getting an early look at a possible fast track, and the Arizona Fall League has become a useful stage for both infield prospects as they play for Mesa. Munroe has climbed through the system with steady performance gains, including a strong showing at Double-A that put him at the top of the organization in wRC+, while Nimmala is already viewed as close to major league readiness.
What makes the timing interesting is that the Angels are also preparing for a change in the player-development pipeline. Interim GM John Mozeliak has said the club plans to hire a new farm director from outside the organization, a move that could reshape how quickly young talent moves. For prospects like Munroe and Nimmala, that kind of transition can open the door to a different kind of evaluation, and maybe a quicker path than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Face A Tough Second Base Choice They Cant Ignore
Second base has remained one of the Angels most unsettled spots, and the teams previous looks there have not produced the long-term answer it has been searching for. Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom were part of the effort to stabilize the position, but neither has established enough to close the book on the issue, leaving the front office with another offseason decision it cannot afford to treat lightly.
Luis Arraez stands out as the cleaner fit on paper because of the contact skills and strikeout avoidance that would give the lineup a different shape, while Ketel Marte brings more overall impact but comes with a more complicated profile. Martes productivity is obvious, yet his off-field issues and looming contract make him a tougher call, even as the Diamondbacks weigh moving him for payroll and attitude reasons. The Angels can also look inward by shifting pieces around the diamond, but the bigger question is whether they can finally land a solution that lasts. [Read more 🡒]