The Angels don’t need a full-blown overhaul to keep their rotation moving in the right direction, but they do need more than internal growth alone. After a year that showed real progress on the mound, Anaheim has a chance this winter to add a starter who can raise the floor and, maybe, change the whole look of the staff.
That matters because pitching and the Angels have not been close friends for a long time. Since 2010, only seven Angels pitchers have reached the All-Star Game, and the most recent pair - Tyler Anderson in 2024 and Yusei Kikuchi in 2025 - tells you plenty about how thin that track record has been.
Outside of two-way star Shohei Ohtani, the rotation hasn’t given opposing lineups much reason to worry. That started to shift late this past season, especially after the club moved on from key coaching staff members.
With a new ownership era approaching, the Angels have a real opening to push that momentum further. Here are three free-agent starters who could fit that mission, each at a different price point and risk level.
Shota Imanaga stands out as the biggest swing of the group, and maybe the one Anaheim could realistically land. The 33-year-old left-hander logged the most innings of his major league career in 2026 and finished with a 3.77 ERA. He’ll have plenty of competition, especially from teams chasing the biggest names on the market such as Tarik Skubal and Sonny Gray, but the Angels could make a run of their own.
There’s also the Japan connection. Imanaga and Kikuchi are teammates, and that could matter if the Angels try to sell him on Southern California.
It would be a notable signing, no question. But with a new owner coming in, Anaheim has a chance to make a statement, and Imanaga would qualify as one.
Tyler Mahle is the safer kind of upside bet, even if the concerns are obvious. After a deadline move to the Atlanta Braves, he closed 2026 in strong fashion, posting a 1.99 ERA over his final nine starts. That run should make teams pay attention.
Still, Mahle isn’t free of questions. He threw nearly 150 innings this season, but it was the first time he’d gone over 100 innings since 2022.
Injury issues have followed him, and he opened the year with a rough stretch with the San Francisco Giants. That keeps him in a tier below the headliners, but the stuff is still there, and he can still matter in a big way.
For the Orange County native, a return home would make for an easy fit in the Angels’ next chapter.
Zach Gallen is the wild card, the name whose market has been battered by one ugly season. He had no luck last offseason, and 2026 only made things worse. His 6.07 ERA and 5.34 FIP with the Arizona Diamondbacks will scare off a lot of teams, and his value has probably never been lower.
But the full picture is more complicated than that one season. Gallen was getting Cy Young votes just two years ago, and he’s only 31. That doesn’t make him a sure thing, but it does make him hard to write off completely.
The Angels have gone down this road before, chasing veterans past their best years on deals that were supposed to unlock one more good run. It hasn’t gone well, and last year’s Alek Manoah move is part of that record. Even so, if the club is holding off on major change until the sale becomes official, Gallen is the kind of low-cost, high-upside bet they could be tempted to make.
In Other News...
Angels Trade Is Looking Worse As Other Teams Cash In
The three-team deal that brought Josh Lowe to Anaheim already had a fragile feel to it, and the early returns have only sharpened the contrast. Los Angeles sent Gavin Lux to Tampa Bay and Brock Burke to Cincinnati as part of the swap, but it is Burke who has turned into the most immediate winner, giving the Reds a dependable arm in the middle of their bullpen while the Angels were left hoping Lowe could provide more impact than he has managed so far.
Lowes first season with the Angels did not give the trade much cover, with the outfielder struggling to produce the kind of offense the club needed from him. On the other side of the deal, Lux never got on the field for the Rays because of injury and is headed toward free agency, leaving the Angels end of the exchange without much to point to as the season has unfolded. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Fans Know What New Ownership Could Prioritize First
Stan Kroenkes arrival as the new owner of the Angels immediately shifts attention beyond the field and toward what might happen around Angels Stadium in Anaheim. Kroenke has a long history of turning stadium districts into revenue-generating developments, and that track record naturally has fans looking at the land around the ballpark as the first big piece of this new era.
For Angels supporters, the next questions are less about a splashy opening move and more about how quickly the organization settles its structure. The club still has no announced general manager, and there is no clear spending plan yet, leaving plenty of uncertainty about how the new ownership will balance baseball decisions with whatever vision it brings for the property around the stadium. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Linked To A Bold Infield Move Fans Will Notice
The Angels are already expected to spend part of their winter looking for ways to sharpen the middle infield, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. has surfaced as one of the more intriguing names tied to that search. His mix of athleticism and offensive upside would fit a club trying to add impact in a part of the roster that has long needed more certainty, and it is the kind of move that would immediately stand out to fans watching the Angels try to reshape the roster.
Chisholms situation is complicated by how the Yankees might rework their own infield, with second base and other spots all potentially in flux. Even so, the fit for Los Angeles is easy to see on paper: a talented, versatile infielder with enough upside to change the look of the lineup if the Angels decide to make a bolder move than usual this offseason. [Read more 🡒]