Angels predicted to land former Cy Young finalist by MLB.com

The Angels are off and running this offseason, with general manager Perry Minasian doing everything he can to ensure he has a winning ball club in 2026. They have traded Taylor Ward away from Grayson Rodriguez, gaining a potential ace for their rotation. They have made small, impactful moves on the waivers. And recently, reports have come out that the Angels and Anthony Rendon have begun negotiating a potential buyout for the third baseman, opening up more payroll for this offseason while allowing Rendon to retire. 

So it has been a busy offseason for the Angels, and they haven’t even gotten active in free agency yet! They have money to spend for elite free agents once the Rendon buyout is finalized, and MLB.com has predicted the team to complete their rotation by bringing a former Cy Young finalist to Anaheim. 

Angels predicted to land former Diamondbacks’ Cy Young

Zac Gallen was one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball going into the 2025 season. He had earned Cy Young votes in three separate seasons, had helped guide the Diamondbacks to a World Series appearance in 2023, and had been largely a healthy starting pitcher. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote out a perfect free agent match for every team, and predicted the Angels to find themselves as the new home for Gallen. He wrote, "The Angels’ eternal search for starting pitching continues this winter, and while they aren’t expected to be major players for the top four or five arms available, the idea of bringing in a former ace looking to re-establish himself could be appealing. Gallen had a career-high 4.83 ERA last season, but he threw 192 innings for Arizona, and he’s averaged more than 180 frames per season since the start of 2022 -- a mark no Angels pitcher has reached since Andrew Heaney in 2018."

While the Angels could very well go for a bang signing with one of the top arms in Framber Valdez, Michael King (who they've been linked to before), or even Tatsuya Imai from Japan, they have plenty of holes to fill and signing Gallen rather than one of the top starters would allow them to fill out their roster fully. While the need for a top ace would remain, they would have a competent and complete five-man rotation (as long as Rodriguez stays healthy).

Gallen to the Angels has been talked about since the end of the season by a variety of people. It is a clean fit, and the Angels may be able to work a team option into the contract given Gallen's down year in 2025.