1 big hurdle that could prevent Angels from extending young core this offseason

The Angels missed the playoffs once again, but there were still a lot of successes to be found for the team throughout the 2025 season. Zach Neto joined the 25-25 club, and likely would have flirted with 30-30 if he was healthy to start the year. Jo Adell's breakout arrived as he became the version of himself Halo fans have been waiting for. Nolan Schanuel maintained his status as a rock solid first baseman, albeit a nontraditional one offensively. The young core is coming along nicely, especially if Denzer Guzman or Christian Moore continue to play well enough to claim the second base job.

A lot has been discussed about the future extensions of these Angels. After losing the best player of all time in free agency two years ago, Angels fans are rightfully nervous about their young stars' futures in Anaheim. Neto's extension, especially, has been discussed all season as fans and media pondered just how much he'll earn. ESPN's Jeff Passan hinted that Neto could earn at least $200 million in free agency, and Neto has only produced more and more since that article was written in May. And while fans will be hoping for an extension for at least one of Neto or Adell, there is a $38 million speed bump that could delay any extensions from happening until after the 2026 campaign.

1 big hurdle that could prevent Angels from extending young core this offseason

The Angels' front office - whether it is run by Perry Minasian or someone else - has a tricky off season in front of them. While none of their major players are set to leave, there are a handful of extension candidates and pressure from Arte Moreno and the fans to take another step forward in 2026. Both of those are made much harder by the final year of Anthony Rendon's contract still being on the books in Anaheim. While there are some ways of potentially moving Rendon's money, the worst contract in baseball makes the rest of baseball operations much tougher.

And, in the end, the Angels will likely value free agents than extending their own players and thus bringing their 2026 number higher on the payroll. Moreno has always treated the luxury tag like a salary cap, so hypothetically extending Neto and paying him up to five times what he would make otherwise would make bringing in free agents even harder than it already will be.

And while the likes of Neto, Adell, and the rest of the Angels' core are not at risk of leaving next season, there is still downside to pushing extensions a year down the line. Each player will be closer to free agency, driving their price tag up. And if they continue to perform like they did in 2025, the number on Neto's extension could start with a three rather than a two, and Adell could demand closer to $100 million as he'll be a year away from free agency after next season.

The Anthony Rendon Era has been a brutal one for Angels fans. And now, the worst contract in the history of baseball haunts the Angels' organization and their fans one last time.

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