1 heavyweight, 1 middleweight, 1 lightweight option for Angels to fill hole at SP

Of the many remaining holes on the Los Angeles Angels' roster, starting pitching might be the least dire of them all. On paper, Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, Grayson Rodriguez, and Reid Detmers form a decent two through five, and the latter three all have the potential to ascend further.

With that said, the group lacks a big dog at the top. Of course, that's nothing new. It's been ages since the Halos employed a bona fide stopper. There's the issue of the questions all of these existing arms present, as well. Can Rodriguez stay healthy? Can Jose Soriano develop some consistency? Does Kikuchi have another level? Can Detmers translate his bullpen success back to the rotation after flaming out the first go-around?

Likely, the answers to one or more of these questions will not be in the affirmative, making it all the more important that Los Angeles supplements this group. They won't have the money for Framber Valdez. They don't have the prospect capital to swing a trade for Joe Ryan or Freddy Peralta.

That will have them setting their sights lower, but while the herd is thinning, there are still some intriguing options at different price points that they should consider.

One high-end, mid-level, and bargain solution for the starting rotation exists for the Angels this offseason

Zac Gallen is their best shot to catch an ace on the rebound

For three years, from 2022 through 2024, Zac Gallen pitched like a borderline ace. The right-hander logged heavy workloads, averaged more than a strikeout per inning, and posted ERAs ranging from 2.54 at his best to 3.65 at his worst. Simply put, he could lead a rotation.

Then 2025 happened. Gallen's K/9 fell to a career-worst 8.20. His HR/9 skyrocketed to an unhealthy 1.45. He managed a 4.83 ERA, which was the worst performance of his career. As a result, he's been languishing on the market without much interest.

Gallen had the worst possible luck, getting tagged with a qualifying offer after a year in which he struggled like never before. Predictions for his next contract have been all over the place, but Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription required) pegged him at two years, $42 million. That's similar to what the Detroit Tigers gave Jack Flaherty last year. It will cost them a draft pick, but Gallen's past track record and a stronger second half than first half in 2025 should have the Halos pulling the trigger. If it pans out, they've got an ace on a well-below-market deal.

Zack Littell isn't an ace, but he could be a consistent mid-rotation arm

Zack Littell won't set himself apart from what the Angels already have, but he can give them another similar arm while helping to ensure the rotation in the event that some of the questions listed above end up being answered in an inauspicious way.

The 30-year-old has transitioned to the rotation full-time for the last two seasons, and the move seems to suit him. He followed up a 3.63 ERA in 2024 with a 3.81 mark in 2025, proving to be a solid innings eater.

Perhaps, most importantly, he helps mitigate one of the unit's fatal flaws. Angels' starters posted a league-worst 9.6% walk rate in 2025. Littell is a control artist who finished last season with a 4.2% rate (98th percentile). That's no fluke; he did virtually the same thing in 2024, handing out free passes at just a 4.7% clip (94th percentile). For middleweight money, you could do worse.

Reuniting with Tyler Anderson is the best way to economically boost the rotation

Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. That's where the Angels find themselves with Tyler Anderson. Right now, reclamation project Alek Manoah is slated to have the best shot at replacing Anderson in the rotation, but betting on his comeback is no sure thing.

Meanwhile, after a hot first month, Angels fans were waiting for the club to finally trade the veteran southpaw away as he slumped. That wouldn't come to fruition.

At 36 years old, there isn't a lot of upside to Anderson, but he does give you some veteran savvy. He also has a weird even-odd streak going on, where he's been good in even years and bad in odd ones. If you're superstitious, you're betting on a bounce-back.

The real reason for bringing in Anderson is to add balance to the rotation. A second lefty is always nice, and the Angels don't have one besides Kikuchi. If he goes down, it's right-handed central.

Anderson should come cheap, and he and Manoah can battle it out in spring training with the loser serving as the long man out of the bullpen, and the roles can change depending on performance over the course of the season.