The Angels wasted no time trimming their roster after the season, creating a little breathing room on a crowded 40-man list.
On Thursday, pitcher Sammy Peralta and catcher Sebastián Rivero both cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. The moves leave the Angels with 39 players on the 40-man roster, even after four players became free agents the same day: Anthony Rendon, Adam Frazier, Travis d'Arnaud and Yoan Moncada.
Peralta and Rivero had no option years left, which meant the Angels had to expose them to waivers before sending them back to Salt Lake after they finished the season on the 26-man roster. Neither drew a claim, which wasn’t much of a surprise after limited major league production in 2026.
Rivero appeared in 24 games in Anaheim and hit .245/.286/.283 while serving as the fifth of five catchers to get regular run for the club this season. The 27-year-old spent most of the year in the minors for the second straight season.
In 29 games with the Bees, he hit .267/.325/.333 with one home run and 12 RBIs. The Angels signed the Venezuela native as a minor league free agent in December 2024, and he has also played in the Braves, Royals and White Sox systems during a pro career that began in 2015.
Peralta made 14 relief appearances for the Angels and finished 0-0 with a 6.20 ERA. Hitters tagged him for a .356 average, with 31 hits allowed in 20.1 innings. He walked seven and struck out 19.
The left-hander, 28, has a 2-2 record and a 5.64 ERA in 46 big league games for the Angels, Rockies and White Sox across four seasons from 2023-26. He also made 16 appearances for Salt Lake in 2026 after the Angels signed him to a minor league deal at midseason, going 2-1 with an 8.66 ERA for the Bees.
The roster openings could help the Angels protect one minor league player from the Rule 5 draft by adding him to the 40-man roster. More moves figure to follow as the offseason gets rolling, with the club needing space for possible free-agent signings and trades. The Rule 5 draft is usually held at the end of the Winter Meetings, though it could be delayed if the expected Dec. 1 lockout happens.
In Other News...
Angels Roster Crunch Could Put Two Young Infielders In Danger
The Angels are heading into the sort of roster squeeze that tends to expose every unfinished edge of the depth chart. Robert Stephenson is in the middle of recovery from a second elbow surgery, and the club has a player option to weigh for the reliever as it maps out next season. At the same time, the front office has to sort through a pair of young infielders whose roster status is far less flexible than their resumes.
Vaughn Grissom has shown enough offensive upside to look like a useful utility piece, while Denzer Guzman has bounced between flashes at the plate and work in different defensive roles. The problem for the Angels is simple: both are out of minor league options, which means every decision carries a real roster consequence. For a team trying to preserve infield depth without closing the door on younger talent, that can turn a routine winter chore into a tougher call than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Finally Gave Up On A Once-Promising In-House Prospect
Kyren Paris Angels tenure ended the way so many once-promising roster gambles do for a contender that keeps searching for answers: quietly, on waivers, after a long stretch in which the former utility prospect never really found his footing in the majors. Paris appeared in 88 games for Los Angeles from 2023 through 2026, but the production never matched the organizations hope when he was moving through the system.
For an Angels club that has spent years trying to piece together reliable depth, losing Paris now is less about one move than another reminder of how hard it is to turn internal talent into a usable big-league piece. The next stop is the Mets, who saw enough to bring him in and make room by moving on from Cristian Pache, while the Angels are left with another example of a prospect story that never quite turned into the one they wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Finally Get A Fresh Start After Years Of Rendon Frustration
Anthony Rendons long, frustrating run with the Angels is over, giving the organization a clean break from one of its most expensive and disappointing contracts. Rendon officially reached free agency after his seven-year deal expired, and the club is now moving forward as it begins a rebuild after another underwhelming season.
For the Angels, the timing matters as much as the outcome. Rendon spent the last two seasons on the shelf because of injuries and surgery, and the team had already worked out a deferred-payment structure on the money still owed. Now, with his contract finally behind them, the Angels can reset their roster and payroll picture without having to keep one eye on a situation that never really worked out. [Read more 🡒]