3 (increasingly pessimistic) explanations for the Angels lackluster offseason

Many Halo fans have spent the first part of 2026 hitting refresh on their baseball feeds, in the thus-far vain hope to see breaking news of a major signing by the LA Angels. There has been plenty of activity, but as has been the pattern in recent years, the “big” move came early – acquiring Grayson Rodriguez in exchange for Taylor Ward – while everything since has been an all-too familiar mix of reclamation gambles and veteran bullpen additions.

So, what’s going on? Here, in descending order of both optimism and likelihood, are the three most likely explanations.

The Angels are gearing up for one (or more) huge moves.

While the Angels may have been making their splashes in the shallow end of the free agent pool, one reason for hope is that you can say the same for a lot of other teams. Many of the biggest names are still out there, and could potentially be huge additions for the Angels. Pitchers Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez and Zac Gallen would all immediately improve the rotation, while Alex Bregman, Cody Bellinger or Bo Bichette would fill obvious holes in the lineup. While several of the players more realistically linked to the Angels have signed elsewhere, (Kazuma Okamoto, Michael King, Kenley Jansen et al) it's worth remembering that recent history doesn’t support much of a link between Angels rumours and actual signings. The players they have gotten, like Yusei Kikuchi, Tyler Anderson and Jorge Soler, have tended to come out of nowhere, for better or worse.

There’s certainly still time, and payroll, left for a big free agent splash. A season-altering trade isn’t out of the question either. But given the patterns of the last few years, and the two reasons we’re about to get to, either would be a significant step away from what the Angels seem to consider “business as usual”.

The front office has an abundance of quiet confidence.

If you cross your fingers and squint a little, a team in which Grayson Rodriguez, Vaughan Grissom and Ozwald Peraza all live up to their potential while Jordan Romano, Alek Manoah and Kirby Yates bounce back to full health looks pretty impressive, and that’s not even taking into account Zach Neto or Mike Trout. Kurt Suzuki and his incoming coaches may genuinely believe they’ve identified clear paths to unlock the full potential of everyone from Reid Detmers to Denzer Guzman.

Perhaps they’re convinced that Bryce Teodosio can play platinum-glove caliber defense while Nelson Rada warms up to take over mid-season, solving the center field dilemma. Maybe Christian Moore has quietly been mastering third base while we’ve all been distracted by the holidays, and Kyren Paris has worked out how to recapture the magic that he briefly flashed at the start of 2025. Mike Trout might actually be Mike Trout again, and Jorge Soler could be poised for a monster walk year, providing the Angels with a fantastic problem of working out where to play them both.

That’s a lot of “ifs”, something the Angels have gambled on far too regularly, but surely, they’re well overdue a winning hand by now…. right?

The Angels financial situation is a LOT worse than they’re letting on.

The two situations above are for the optimists. But quite frankly, if you’re still an optimistic Angels fan this far into the 2020’s, bless you. The more realistic reason for so many of their offseason moves this year is simply money, and Arte Moreno’s willingness to part with it.

On the one hand, you can view Anthony Rendon’s contract restructuring as a win-win, freeing up several million dollars whilst finally removing any last reason for him to even try to get back onto the field. On the other, the fact they didn’t just eat the last year of his deal and be done with the whole sorry saga could equally suggest they just want to spread their debt around.

There are two certain financial worries hanging over the team, and two potential ones. The ongoing drama around broadcast rights took yet another turn last week, with the Angels one of the nine MLB teams who cancelled their contracts with beleaguered Main Street Sports Group, the parent company of FanDuel Sport Network. And the confidential settlement of the Skaggs family civil trial may have brought that nasty process to an end, but someone still has to pay for it, and even if that’s ultimately covered by insurance it will undoubtably have a huge impact on future premiums, or even the team’s ability to get insurance at all.

On top of those certainties are the possibilities of another lengthy legal fight over the upkeep of Angel Stadium, and even a sale of the team itself. Arte Moreno may view the expiration of the current CBA, the debate with the city of Anaheim over who pays for the stadium, and a potential lockout in 2027 as a prime time to revalue the team and offer it up for sale, again.

But before you all dig out the celebratory music you just put away after New Year’s Eve, be careful what you wish for, at least in the short term. Any potential sale could signal a complete freeze on signings, extensions and multi-year acquisitions, and the one-year deals that both Perry Minasian and Kurt Suzuki are now on would seem to support that argument.

This all may feel bleak, and there is absolutely still time for this New Year to bring the big boost that fans have been so desperately watching for. However, as every day passes and spring training gets closer, Angels fans should be prepared for another season built on hope, not cash.