Angels 'in go-mode' despite standing pat at Winter Meetings

December 11th, 2024

DALLAS -- The Angels wrapped up the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings on Wednesday, but general manager Perry Minasian knows there’s still plenty of work to do to improve the roster heading into next season.

The Halos didn’t make any significant moves during the annual event, but Minasian believes he laid the groundwork for future free agent signings and trades. He indicated that they’re looking at all areas to improve the club but are interested in a third baseman, bullpen help and possibly another starting pitcher.

The Angels are also reportedly shopping an outfielder, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, but they would only trade a starting outfielder to make room for another addition in the outfield. The club would love to acquire a young center fielder to ease the burden on superstar Mike Trout, but the cost would be high.

“There's just so many ways to improve,” Minasian said. “We're trying to make the team better. That’s the goal. There’s a lot of offseason left, as we all know, but I enjoy these meetings because everybody is engaged and people are in go-mode to a certain extent.”

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS

1. Infield
With Anthony Rendon struggling to stay on the field the last four seasons due to injuries, the Angels are in the market for an everyday third baseman or could pivot to second base and allow Luis Rengifo to take over at third. Rendon still has two years and $77 million remaining on his contract, but he appears headed toward more of a backup role and could even see some time at second base and first base. Alex Bregman is the best third baseman on the free agent market, but his price tag will keep the Angels from being a suitor.

There are a few intriguing third basemen on the trade market, such as Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm and potentially Eugenio Suárez, but the asking prices remain high. The second-base free agent market includes Jorge Polanco and Gleyber Torres.

2. Bullpen
The Angels have yet to address their bullpen this offseason, and it’s an area they are likely to bolster. The club is comfortable with flamethrowing youngster Ben Joyce as the closer, but he’s yet to get through an entire season healthy, so the Angels would like to find at least one veteran setup reliever to give manager Ron Washington more options. Robert Stephenson, who was signed last offseason to a three-year, $33 million deal, is also coming off Tommy John surgery and could miss the start of the season. The Angels don’t seem to be in a rush to sign relievers, however, as they appear more likely to address the bullpen as they get closer to Spring Training.

3. Outfield
The Angels don’t necessarily need another outfielder, especially after acquiring slugger Jorge Soler in a trade with the Braves. They already have Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Mickey Moniak and Trout on the roster, so the only way they’d add to that group is if they trade an outfielder. Trout obviously isn’t going anywhere with his full no-trade clause, while Moniak and Adell wouldn’t bring back much value.

Ward, however, could be a trade option, as he still has two years of control remaining. But if the Halos were to trade Ward, it would be to clear a spot to acquire another outfielder, most likely a center fielder. Luis Robert Jr. and Cody Bellinger are on the trade block, but both would carry a high cost. The Angels would also be open to a reunion with veteran Kevin Pillar, who is looking to play one last season, but he appears to be more of a fallback option. There isn’t much center field help available in free agency, but if the Angels wanted to pivot to a premium corner defender, Jurickson Profar is a free agent.

RULE 5 DRAFT

The Angels selected lefty Garrett McDaniels from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday. McDaniels, 24, posted a 3.19 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings across three levels in 2024. He's only pitched three innings at Double-A, but the Angels like his stuff and will see if he’s Major League ready in Spring Training.

“He’s a good arm and can spin two breaking balls,” Minasian said. “He’s 94-95 mph with a good combination of strikeouts and ground balls. He was at a lower level, but stuff is stuff, so we felt he was worth taking.”

GM’S BOTTOM LINE

“I feel like we've addressed some needs,” Minasian said. “But we need to do more. We need to bring in more talent."