Angels trade for Vaughn Grissom cannot be final move to improve infield

The Angels have had a quiet Winter Meetings, with their sole move being a trade for Vaughn Grissom, a former top infield prospect for Atlanta before being the main piece in the Chris Sale trade with the Boston Red Sox. The Angels sent outfielder Isaiah Jackson to the Red Sox in return, ending any chance the former eighth round pick had to compete for a spot with the Angels at some point in 2026.

Angels' general manager Perry Minasian was with Atlanta when they drafted Grissom, so this is a reuniting of the two. Grissom has never taken off as many expected, and is now onto his third organization with the Halos. Grissom brings an ability to play all over the infield defensively, and if he can find a way to contribute offensively he'll be a solid addition for the Angels' as a depth piece.

That being said, Grissom cannot be the only answer in the infield this offseason. The Angels have holes at second base and third base, depending on how one feels about Christian Moore's ability to contribute in 2026. Grissom, Denzer Guzman, and Kyren Paris (who is learning the hot corner this offseason) are other infield options at third or second base, but again none of these four have found sustained success in the big leagues. Minasian and the Angels, simply put, cannot be done.

Angels must keep adding to infield after Vaughn Grissom trade

There is a plethora of infield options in free agency and on the trade market. From stars like Bo Bichette to veteran pieces like Yoan Moncada, the Angels have options on the free agent market in terms of how much they have to spend on their next infield addition. On the trade market, they could again find a veteran they won't have to trade much in return for like Nolan Arenado. Or, if Minasian is feeling like going for it all, swinging a trade for Brendan Donovan would give the Angels one of the best double play combos in the league.

However the Angels decide to improve in their infield, they simply have to. In offseasons past, Minasian and owner Arte Moreno have tried to improve this roster through a quantity over quality approach, bringing in a handful of players rather than going for a big name. Part of that was due to Rendon's contract, but this offseason the team is running out of excuses. With Rendon seemingly coming off the books soon, Moreno and Minasian need to make substantial additions to the roster, and one of those needs to be in the infield.