4 former Angels without a job before 2026 spring training (but 1 who will return)

While it has felt like a slog for the last month or so, the offseason is finally coming to an end, and we are just a couple of weeks away from seeing the Los Angeles Angels play baseball again. The spring training schedule is set to begin in the middle of the month. Unfortunately, the Angels don't have much to show for the offseason aside from some fringe roster lottery tickets and Josh Lowe after losing some guys who were pretty important to them.

Most of the Angels' free agents have new homes already. Kenley Jansen is with the Tigers, Luis Garcia landed with the Mets, and Kyle Hendricks finally retired. However, with players reporting to camp very soon, there are still a few former Angels who have yet to find a team for 2026, including one that may still be a fit for LA.

Here are the former Angels players that are still unemployed with spring training coming up fast (plus one where a reunion makes sense)

The goal here isn't to find every single current free agent that the Angels ever bumped into in a hallway. Instead, we are focusing more on relatively well-known names who actually have a chance of breaking camp on an Opening Day roster, even if it isn't a sure thing. Here are the Angels' free agents that are still unemployed, starting with the one that could still be a fit for LA.

Tyler Anderson (for now)

It sort of feels like the market forgot that Tyler Anderson existed. While he did suffer an injury late in 2025, it was an oblique injury that didn't sound like it was going to be a long-term problem. Anderson isn't a frontline arm, but he is still a solid back-of-the-rotation starter that gets a lot of soft contact. With the Angels' financial limitations (thanks, Arte Moreno), a reunion with Anderson still makes a lot of sense.

Luis Rengifo

There was a time when Luis Rengifo was the Angels' best trade chip. The utility infielder put together a really solid 2024 season while hitting .300 and playing all over the place. Unfortunately, 2025 was not as kind as he only managed a .622 OPS, as it was clear that offseason wrist surgery had taken more of a toll than LA hoped. Rengifo will get a job somewhere, but he is probably going to have to settle for a bench role until he proves he can hit again, as the glove may be versatile, but that doesn't mean he is good at any of his positions.

Lucas Giolito

Remember the trade deadline when the Angels tried one last hurrah with Shohei Ohtani? That was a fun few weeks before the Angels collapsed in spectacular fashion. One of the Angels' bigger acquisitions during that time was Lucas Giolito, and he also happened to be one of their biggest disappointments. Since getting kicked to the curb by the Angels, Giolito ended up with the Red Sox, where he needed elbow surgery, but bounced back with a solid 2025 season. He will absolutely sign soon, although where is still uncertain, and it almost definitely won't be with the Angels.

Hunter Strickland

For as popular as relief arms were on the free agent market early this offseason, it is a little surprising that Hunter Strickland is still available. However, missing as much time as he did with a shoulder issue suggests that he may be dealing with more than just inflammation. If Strickland can prove he is healthy, he will get a shot somewhere. However, there have been no signs that teams think he will be available in 2026 thus far.

Chris Taylor

After being a versatile menace with the Dodgers for years, hard times fell on Chris Taylor, and he ultimately landed with the Angels in the hopes that he could turn back time. After 30 games with a .179/.278/.321, it was clear that he was pretty much washed up. If he wants to keep playing, his versatility will be appealing to budget-conscious teams, but one wonders how much he wants to try and keep things going at this rate.