Grading the Angels Winter Meetings: A tough weekend but a chance to rebound

The Angels went into the Winter Meetings with some swagger. There were reports that Anthony Rendon would be bought out soon, increasing the team's budget. They had acquired two new pitchers of different calibers, with Grayson Rodriguez offering ace potential if he stays healthy and former Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah signing a cheap one-year deal in hopes of finding his footing in the big leagues again. General manager Perry Minasian was armed with more payroll than he has likely ever had. And as the Winter Meetings concluded on Wednesday with the Rule 5 Draft, it is time to hand out grades for Perry Minasian and the Angels.

Angels 2025 Winter Meetings Grades: A tougher task than expected

The only move the team made was a trade to acquire infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Boston Red Sox. Grissom was a top prospect with Atlanta, and headlined the package sent to the Red Sox when the team acquired Chris Sale. Since then, Grissom has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues. However, the Angels did not have to give up much to get Grissom to Anaheim, making this a fine deal as long as there are more upgrades for the infield on the way. On another positive note, agent Scott Boras included the Angels when he soliloquized about potential Cody Bellinger landing spots in true Boras fashion.

In the negative news, the Baltimore Orioles - who will be competing for a Wild Card spot against the Angels in 2026 - made one of the biggest signings of Winter Meetings when they pried Pete Alonso away from New York with a 5-year, $155 million. This gives them one of the best, most complete lineups in baseball and chips away at the Angels' postseason chances a little more. The Dodgers also signed Edwin Diaz, arguably the game's best closer, to a 3-year, $69 million deal. And while it stings to see their cross-town rivals get richer, at least it is one less suitor for Kenley Jansen.

Angels' Grade for 2025 Winter Meetings: C-

Overall, the team did not do make any bad signings or trades. They could have done more, sure, but Minasian was not going to keep Alonso from joining the American League himself. The team went into the Winter Meetings with high expectations, but there is a lot of offseason left. It was a disappointing few days for Angels fans desperate to enter the next chapter of this organization, but overall they avoided disaster. And for the Angels, that deserves a C grade. They appear to be in the Bellinger market as well as keeping tabs on top starters, so there is a chance for their full offseason grade to be a lot better than their Winter Meetings one as long as Minasian can finally land his big star.