Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Angels

The Angels, amazingly, just had their first 100-loss season. That’s a low point for the franchise but there is optimism about the future because the 2027 club will have a new owner, a new front office leader and a new manager. Guaranteed Contracts Mike Trout, OF: $141.8MM through 2030 Yusei Kikuchi, LHP: $21MM through 2027 Option Decisions Robert Stephenson, RHP: $2.5MM club option was declined Additional Commitments Anthony Rendon still owed $30.4MM in deferred salary 2027 financial commitments: $64.05MM Total future commitments: $193.2MM Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) Reid Detmers (4.159): $7.5MM Jose Siri (4.150): $2.3MM Josh Lowe (4.075): $3.6MM Tyler Heineman (4.066): $1.5MM Tayler Saucedo (4.043): $1.5MM Zach Neto (3.170): $9.8MM Grayson Rodriguez (3.129): $2.1MM Ben Joyce (3.075): $1.1MM Nolan Schanuel (3.045): $3MM Oswald Peraza (3.014): $1.4MM Sam Bachman (2.149): $1.1MM Non-tender candidates: Siri, Lowe, Heineman, Rodriguez, Peraza, Bachman Free Agents Anthony Rendon, Travis d’Arnaud, Yoán Moncada, Adam Frazier, Robert Stephenson It’s no secret that things haven’t been going well for the Angels lately. They haven’t made the postseason since 2014. They haven’t had a winning record since 2015. Despite that long run of poor results, they have resisted rebuilding and prioritized short-term contention. For a long time, that was an understandable approach. They had Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the same roster for many years. It’s hard to justify tearing things down when you have two of the best players in the world. But Ohtani has been gone for three years. Trout is now 35 years old. The results have only gotten worse. The Angels lost 99 games in 2024, 90 in 2025 and 100 in 2026. Thankfully, change is in the air. Out of nowhere on September 1, it was reported that longtime owner Arte Moreno had agreed to sell the club to Stan Kroenke. Kroenke has been a sports owner for many years, with lots of success on his résumé. The Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal FC have all won titles under his ownership. The front office had already been shaken up before that. General manager Perry Minasian had been fired in June. John Mozeliak, who ran the Cardinals front office for many years, is guiding baseball operations for the Angels on an interim basis. There are still some details to be worked out this winter. The sale isn’t official yet and likely won’t be until the new year. Regardless, the current decision-makers are consulting with Kroenke and his team on all important matters already. The search is on for a more permanent front office leader. It’s unclear how long the club will take with that. Free agency starts soon but perhaps the club is comfortable with Mozeliak staying in charge for now, especially with the upcoming lockout. If transactions are going to be frozen for several months anyhow, perhaps the club has the luxury of taking some time to pick a new general manager/president of baseball operations. A new manager will also be selected. Kurt Suzuki was the skipper in 2026 but was on a one-year deal. Whoever is eventually tapped to run the front office will presumably play a role in looking for a new bench boss. In a sense, the club’s direction is in limbo. It’s hard to know what decisions will be made about the roster when we don’t even know who is making those decisions. However, there are strong arguments for the club to prioritize the long term over the short term. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker