ANAHEIM -- The Angels may not be finished making noise before Monday’s Trade Deadline, and the first move already showed how willing they are to shake things up.
On Wednesday, they sent catcher Logan O’Hoppe and reliever Chase Silseth to the Rangers for third base prospect Angel Arredondo, a deal that signaled a real shift in approach. O’Hoppe was controlled through after the ’28 season and Silseth through after ’30, so moving both for a teenager was not the kind of swap the Angels have tended to make in recent years.
But the organization clearly valued Arredondo’s profile, citing his contact ability and plus defense, while believing there’s power to come. He’s now ranked as the club’s No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
“We know we have to start shaking up this roster,” Mozeliak said. “Being here and what our group is trying to accomplish, we are looking at change.”
That deal may have only been the beginning. The biggest question now is whether the Angels are willing to part with shortstop Zach Neto, who has three more years of control after this season, or with starting pitchers Reid Detmers and José Soriano, both of whom are free agents after next year. Soriano was scratched from his start on Saturday, a move that suggests he could be on the move as well.
Right fielder Jo Adell is another name to watch. He has one more year of control after ’26.
The Angels also have pending free agents Jorge Soler, Kirby Yates and Brent Suter, though none of those veterans are expected to bring back much. There’s also a possibility they could move another reliever such as Ryan Zeferjahn or Sam Bachman, both of whom are controlled through 2031 like Silseth.
The tricky part for Mozeliak is that the Angels’ most valuable trade pieces are mostly players who remain under control beyond this season. He made clear the club is not interested in moving someone just to make a move. If Neto, Detmers or Soriano go, the return would need to be significant.
“Obviously moving controllable players is going to be the challenge in this whole exercise, because that's mostly what we have,” Mozeliak said. “But we're just going to try to pick and choose our spots where we can create that change, create a different trajectory for the organization.”
The Angels are also shopping with specific needs in mind. They want a left-handed power bat and are looking for a young catcher, especially after dealing O’Hoppe.
Their farm system is loaded more with pitching than bats, and several of their better hitting prospects - No. 2 Hayden Alvarez, No.
5 Gabriel Davalillo, No. 6 Joswa Lugo and No.
13 Raudi Rodriguez - are right-handed or lack much power, much like No. 3 prospect Nelson Rada.
Behind the plate, the system includes No. 16 Juan Flores and No.
24 Marlon Quintero, but neither is close to Anaheim yet. Flores is 20 and at Double-A Rocket City, while Quintero is 19 and at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
“The answer right now we think to the future, that might be something that we have to do outside the organization on the short view and we'll obviously be open to that,” Mozeliak said. “When we look at the next few days, and if there's the ability to try to add some depth to that, I think would be in our best interest.”
Arredondo gives them another young piece to work with, and the Angels wasted no time getting him into the system. The 19-year-old was assigned to Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and went 1-for-4 with a double in his organizational debut on Friday. Mozeliak also left the door open for future trades that bring back players closer to the big leagues, but the immediate focus seems to be on finding the right fit rather than simply chasing proximity.
In Other News...
Angels Just Sent A Clear Message With The Jo Adell Move
For the Angels, moving Jo Adell is another reminder of where the organization is trying to sharpen its roster and sort out its long-term picture. Adell had flashed enough to remain an intriguing name, but the Angels clearly decided the return and the roster flexibility mattered more than waiting longer for a fuller breakout.
The deal sends a young outfielder with upside into a new spot where he is expected to help, especially against left-handed pitching, while the Angels move on with a different kind of roster calculation in mind. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to balance present needs with future control, this was the sort of move that signals a choice, even if the full meaning of it will take time to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Made A Deadline Move Fans Will Be Debating For Years
The Blue Jays spent the deadline retooling with an eye on the future, first moving Kevin Gausman to the Cubs and then turning around to add a controllable starting pitcher from the Angels. For Toronto, the appeal was clear: Jose Soriano comes with club control through the 2028 season, a rare kind of security for a team trying to stay in the mix over the next several years.
For the Angels, the move is harder to sort through because it cost them a starter who had become part of their long-term picture. In return, they picked up three players and added another layer to a deadline that signals just how much the front office was willing to reshape the roster, even if the full verdict on the deal may take years to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Zach Neto Trade Buzz Puts The Angels Infield Future In Focus
The Angels infield picture has started to get a little more interesting, and the latest buzz circles back to Zach Neto at a time when the front office appears willing to listen. John Mozeliak has already signaled openness to offers on players, and reports of talks between the Angels and Red Sox have added fuel to a conversation that has been building around where the club wants to go with its roster.
What sharpened the speculation was a small but notable development on the other side, where top Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias was scratched from his Triple-A start. It is the sort of move that can send a rumor mill into overdrive, especially when the Angels are looking at ways to shape their future in the middle of the diamond, but for now it remains only that - talk, not a completed trade. [Read more 🡒]