3 hitters Angels should dangle on trade market after Grayson Rodriguez heist

With the Angels successfully starting their offseason off with a bang in the Taylor Ward-Grayson Rodriguez trade, fans are looking forward to what additions the team can make. General manager Perry Minasian has more money to spend than he expected, and there are rumors that the Angels are going to spend heavily this offseason. No one expected the Angels could receive a potential ace in return for Ward, and with such a phenomenal return the Angels should check the market on these three players as well.  

3 players Angels should test the market for 

Outfielder Jorge Soler

Look, this is an entirely different case than Ward was. But if teams are truly desperate for right-handed hitters this offseason like the Orioles were, Jorge Soler fits the bill. If a team can convince themselves that Soler’s down 2025 season was due to the injuries he dealt with, then he’s a viable bounce back candidate for essentially zero cost in terms of a return. The Angels have to be desperate to get off Soler’s $16 million contract, and if they can move the money to another team without having to attach a prospect they'd have to jump at it - and there might just be teams eager enough for a power bat to do it.

Catcher Logan O'Hoppe

Odds are, the Angels still view Logan O'Hoppe as a key part of their future going into this offseason. He has been honest about his struggles from 2025, and is taking the steps needed to ensure it does not continue into 2026 by leaning into the advanced data side of baseball developement. Still, he is a young, controllable player for a team in desperate need of a cheap catcher who has shown the ability to start in the big leagues. And while he is a member of the young core, so was Brandon Marsh up until the second Minasian dealt him to the Phillies for O'Hoppe in 2022.

Outfielder Jo Adell

This is the big one for the Angels. Taylor Ward and Jo Adell are similar archetypes, except that nearly every advanced stat favors Adell over Ward... and he is under team control through 2027. If the return for Ward is a potential ace of the rotation (albeit with health concerns), what could the return for Adell look like? While there is no guarantee in baseball, could it be a top pitching prospect like Andrew Painter of the Phillies? Or an even younger outfielder like Spencer Jones of the Yankees? There are dozens of potential suitors and even more hypothetical returns, but Minasian must be curious enough to at least listen on offers for Adell this offseason.