Angels' 3 biggest roster decisions heading into the summer

Everything's gravy thus far in 2025 with the Los Angeles Angels, but maintaining big league rosters over the course of a full season takes some hard choices. Nothing is easy, especially when the injuries start piling up and players start slumping.

What could be done in order for the Angels to prove that the hot start to the season is not a flash in the pan? Are there moves that could fortify future seasons' successes, while also improving the morale and on-field product in 2025?

Will the Angels extend Taylor Ward?

Zach Neto, Logan O'Hoppe, Nolan Schanuel, José Soriano and the rest of the Angels' young core receive all the reputes when it comes to fans discussing who the team should extend. Realistically, the Angels will sit back and relax while their young core remains on their rookie deals. Ward, on the other hand, his clock is ticking. 2026 is his final year of arbitration with the Angels, then he becomes a free agent entering his age-33 season.

Ward came into camp in better shape, as his sprint speed has increased dramatically from 2024 to 2025. He's still a productive and lethal bat, although he does battle several spells of streaky play. He is a now-underrated defensive outfielder, and it's not like the Angels have a large crop of outfield prospects on the way.

He does not seem like the type of player who would want to leave Anaheim, and he continues to show development all these years after transitioning from catching to patrolling the outfield. Lock him up, Perry.

When do the Angels promote Christian Moore?

Remember when the Angels' top prospect was largely expected to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training? Well, Moore is not off to a terribly hot start to his first full professional season, which is to be expected. While he gets some seasoning in Double-A Rocket City, the Angels will continue to roll with players like Luis Rengifo, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman, Nicky Lopez, and Kyren Paris at second base. That sounds like a whole lot of quantity, but the quality has yet to be fully revealed (especially at the plate).

The Angels are hoping to not promote Moore out of necessity, but could he play his way to The Show during the summer? Angels fans is hoping he can force the evaluators' hands and hit his way to the majors, as everybody is hoping to catch a sneak preview of their double play duo of the future. Can you picture the Neto-Moore-Schanuel double plays already?

Do the Angels move Reid Detmers back to the rotation full-time?

There are several ways for Detmers to win back a starting job, injury being the chief among them. However, let's say there's not a scenario where Yusei Kikuchi, Soriano, Jack Kochanowicz, Kyle Hendricks, or Tyler Anderson go down for an extender period of time. There's definitely a world where the Angels trade Anderson and move Detmers back to their starting rotation. One might be regressing, while the other might be in the midst of a surge in his career. Anderson is on an expiring contract and has not exactly lit the world on fire with his start to the season. Detmers' stuff and strikeout rates are superior to Anderson's.

If he continues to mesh with his role out of the bullpen, maybe he builds enough momentum where the coaches trust him enough with spot starts. If those go well, maybe that momentum carries over into a role in the rotation once more. Nobody should rule it out.

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