Angels have two obvious extension candidates but perfect timing might not exist yet

The Los Angeles Angels are bad (again) and in last place in the AL West (again). Yes, the team is wasting a resurgent season from Mike Trout and another year of Zach Neto's prime. And, of course, the Halos figure to be sellers at the trade deadline for the umpteenth time.

However, not all hope is lost in Anaheim. The Angels have gotten some impressive breakouts from players like Wade Meckler, José Soriano, and Reid Detmers. Slowly but surely, the team is accumulating players worth building around.

Perhaps the two biggest stories this season has been the emergence of rookie starter Walbert Ureña and the better-late-than-never arrival of former top prospect Oswald Peraza. Both players are exceeding expectations in 2026.

Ureña, 22, and Peraza, 26, make for the perfect recipients for the type of long-term extensions the Angels haven't been proactive about handing out recently. Unfortunately, the looming reality of an impending lockout, may make it impossible to know if now is really the right time to start committing more long-term money to the roster.

Angels' extension hopes are at the mercy of Arte Moreno and upcoming MLB lockout

While a lockout isn't a guarantee, an extended work stoppage appears to be a formality at this point. There is so much at stake — from salary caps and floors, to minimum and maximum contracts, as well as changes to revenue sharing and a possible league expansion/realignment — that it just feels impossible to imagine the players and owners coming to an agreement by the start of December.

What that means is that no team knows exactly what the economic parameters will look like moving forward. That's a very difficult world to operate in, much less one in which you start freely handing out huge sums of money.

Of course, some franchises have prioritized cost certainty ahead of the expected lockout. The Milwaukee Brewers, for instance, have signed two top prospects (Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara) to long-term extensions prior to their MLB debuts. The Chicago Cubs, meanwhile, have responded by handing their established stars (Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner) nine-figure deals.

Not all franchises have that luxury, though, and the Angels are in an especially difficult position given the tenuous nature of Arte Moreno's ownership. Ureña and Peraza would be excellent building blocks to sign to long-term, team-friendly deals but it may be more feasible to let them play out the string on their pre-arb contracts and let the next CBA dictate their futures in Anaheim.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow