10 Angels officially hit free agency - who might return to Anaheim?

The off season has officially begun, as parades run through Los Angeles for the second time in as many years, with the Dodgers and their fans celebrating the team’s World Series run. For the Angels, though, their off season began when it typically has - as soon as Game 162 ended. 11 straight years without the playoffs has fans and the organization hoping for more wins in 2026. And today the team may have added by subtracting. 

10 2025 Angels officially become free agents

The Major League Baseball Players Association released the names of players who are officially becoming free agents as of Monday morning. For the Angels, that means 10 players who will test the waters (and some who may ponder retirement) as well as consider a potential return to Anaheim. Starting pitchers Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks, relievers Hunter Strickland, Luis Garcia, Andrew Chafin, Jose Urena, and Kenley Jansen, infielder Yoan Moncada, and utility players Luis Rengifo and Chris Taylor all have officially hit free agency. 

Of the starting pitchers, Hendricks and Anderson both will likely have to be employed elsewhere in 2026 if they wish to continue pitching. Despite an All Star season during his Angels tenure, Anderson never quite lived up to his contract in the eyes of Angels fans. Hendricks was rumored to be retiring after the 2025 season, but no official announcement has been made. If he does pitch, he’ll likely want to do so for his hometown team again, but the Angels may want him as a coach more than as a pitcher at this point. 

The relievers hitting free agency are an intriguing mix of players. There are established veterans in Garcia and Chafin who the Angels acquired at the deadline, effectively solving their middle relief issues that plagued their first half (although wins didn’t come). Urena and Strickland have both shown flashes, and could potentially be brought back on cheap deals as the Angels could take a quantity over quality approach for their bullpen. Then, there’s Kenley Jansen. One of the best closers of all time posted an exceptional 2025 season for the Angels, and the Halos would be wise to bring him back to lead their bullpen and shut down opposing offenses in the ninth again for 2026 (and beyond, per Jansen’s wishes). 

The position players all could make an argument for returning, as Rengifo and Moncada both had stretches of solid production for the Angels in 2025. Either could be a great fit for the Angels next season, even if both were poor defensively at third base. For Taylor, his health kept him out of the Angels’ lineup for much of the season after he signed on with the team. While a minimum contract could be intriguing (for his leadership more than his productivity at this point), Taylor will likely catch on with a team closer to contention.