Angels have competition in search for 3B, outfielders... and the teams will shock you

After recent housekeeping, the Angels are left with 13 position players on the 40-man roster which includes Jorge Soler who does not have a position to play. If the season began today then Christian Moore, Denzer Guzman, Oswald Peraza, Bryce Teodosio, Matthew Lugo and Kyren Paris would all be on the Opening Day roster. All six of those players have potential moving forward, but do not inspire hope if the Angels are aiming to end their postseason drought in 2026.

Perry Minasian and his front office need to work overtime in order to find optimal players to address the team's needs, as the Angels clearly need a third baseman, possibly a second baseman, a centerfielder, a corner outfielder...not to mention one or two more starters and a whole bunch of relievers. The Los Angeles Angels have always played little brother to big market teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, but now will have to beat out smaller market teams in order to build out their roster.

Angels have competition in search for 3B, outfielders... and the teams will shock you

Per Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic:

"The Pittsburgh Pirates, after expressing interest in first baseman Josh Naylor, are doing the same with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, while considering infielders Jorge Polanco, Ryan O’Hearn and Kazuma Okamoto as perhaps more realistic free-agent options. The Miami Marlins are active in the closer market, talking with free-agent right-hander Michael King and other starting pitchers, and are also weighing upgrades at first and third base."

Rosenthal and Drellich

Rosenthal and Drellich suggested that the expiring CBA is causing Miami and Pittsburgh to raise their payroll ahead of the 2026 season. This is happening at an inopportune time for the Angels, who do historically spend in free agency but oftentimes are able to land MLB players due to the small-market teams sitting out of the race for those assets.

The Angels are likely circling all three of Polanco, O'Hearn and Okamoto. Polanco is a switch-hitting second baseman with pop, while O'Hearn is a left-handed hitting slugger who could slot into right field for the Halos next year. The Angels are in desperate need of left-handed hitters, and both Polanco and O'Hearn are amongst the best talents of the mid-tier bucket of free agents. Okamoto is a third baseman who fits the Angels' timeline to compete (2027 and on) but could also raise the team's floor next season. The Angels have some loose ties to Okamoto, but nothing concrete or verifiable.

If the Pirates and Marlins actually do land some marquee free agents, the Angels might turn to the trade market to address the infield and outfield. Either way, the Angels' uphill battle of convincing players to play for this organization just got a lot more daunting.