Angels News: Detmers to be unleashed, Mike Trout in center field?

Winter Meetings is not only a chance for teams and their front offices to make deals with free agents and swing trades, but a chance for the media to get a chance to question general managers and front office execs. Of course, it is also the chance for super-agent Scott Boras to give his Shakespearean soliloquies, of which the Angels were included in this offseason as Boras discussed his top free agent client.

Angels' general manager Perry Minasian spoke to reporters throughout, and while most of the discussions were about the Angels' plans for the rest of the offseason, Minasian spoke about the team he currently has waiting in Anaheim as well. While the team did not make any of the moves on fans' wish lists at the Winter Meetings, Minasian has the rest of the offseason to make up for it.

Angels' speak on Reid Detmers inning limit, Mike Trout defensive restrictions

One of the first decisions the Angels had to make this offseason was whether to leave left-handed pitcher Reid Detmers in the bullpen for 2026 or allow him the chance to start one again. Detmers posted a 3.96 ERA out of the bullpen last season, which was a slightly inflated number due to a trio of horrendous outings where he allowed 12 earned runs in 0.1 innings pitched over the course of a week. Outside of those appearances, Detmers was elite out of the pen posting a 2.27 ERA throughout the rest of the season.

The Angels decided to have Detmers rejoin the rotation alongside Jose Soriano and Yusei Kikuchi (and now, Grayson Rodriguez). After that, the question naturally became if Detmers would be limited in how much he pitches next season. Reporters and fans finally got an answer at Winter Meetings, as Minasian shut down the idea.

“I’m not a huge believer in innings limits,” Minasian said. “We use our experience. We use the people we have, our medical staff, and we go start to start.” This is surely good news for the fan base, as new starter Grayson Rodriguez is already bringing an injury question mark to an otherwise durable rotation.

Another topic broached was what the Angels are going to do in center field, as they have yet to make an addition. Bryce Teodosio was not good enough on offense to hand him the job in 2026 despite his excellence in the field. Jo Adell turned into one of the best sluggers in baseball last season, but his Gold Glove finalist level defense in right field did not translate to center field, where he posted a -8 Run Value per Baseball Savant.

Mike Trout, who was moved to right field to preserve his body only to still miss a month due to injury and spend the remainder of the season as a designated hitter only, is apparently an option in center field next season per Minasian. “I’m not ruling anything out,” Minasian told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “If him playing center field on a certain day makes sense for us to try to win that game, we’re not going to be timid to do that.”

This would be a pretty abject disaster if the Angels are ever forced into a position where Trout has to play center field again. If this is posturing from the Angels in case they do not sign a center fielder in free agency, fans will rightfully be upset. Trout should probably be transitioning to full-time DH at this point in his career, and moving him back to center field even if it only as a part-time option would put his health at an unnecessary risk.