4 Angels players they should consider bringing back in 2026

With the off-season arriving predictably early for the Angels, thoughts can now turn to how the roster will look in 2026. The team has a number of contracts coming to an end, and while that means they will undoubtably be saying goodbyes to several members of the 2025 team, some more fondly than others, there are a few players who stood out as worth a second look.

4 Angels players they should consider bringing back in 2026

Kenley Jansen

At the top of this list, by a significant margin, is closer Kenley Jansen. When he was signed last off-season, the logic was that he would be a veteran presence with post-season experience who could act as a vital mentor and bridge to the presumed closer of the future, Ben Joyce. It certainly didn’t hurt that he was a marquee name chasing history, inching towards becoming just the third pitcher to ever record 500 saves – exactly the kind of guy Arte Moreno loves to have on the squad.

Fast forward one year, and the arguments for re-signing him are exactly the same, with the added bonus that he was really, really good in 2025. Jansen only blew one save this season, finishing up with 29, and a career total of 476. He pitched to a 2.59 ERA, giving up 17 earned runs in 62 appearances, but that includes a 6-run blowout against Detroit on May 2nd. That magical 500 save mark is well within reach in 2026, Ben Joyce is still an oft-injured work in progress, and Jansen’s influence on both the bullpen and the infield seems indisputable; all reasons why bringing him back (and it does sound like he’s open to the idea) seems like one of the easier decisions facing the Angels right now.