3 Angels players who won't be back in 2025

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The 2024 season is mercifully over. We're onto 2025.

The Angels staffers and superstar seem rather divided on where the club will be headed. Ron Washington does not believe the team needs star additions to contend. Mike Trout believes the team does, in fact, need star additions. Arte Moreno...well, no one really knows what he is thinking. Trout obviously wants all-in moves, but Perry Minasian should seriously consider a lengthy tanking period. Given what they showed this season and what they could accrue with premier draft capital, the Angels should stay at the bottom in order to make it back to the top.

The Angels roster currently possesses a litany of young players who are either pre-arbitration or in arbitration. They have Trout and Rendon under contract for sizable figures, Trout for the next six seasons and Rendon for the next two (unless he gets bought out, and his money gets deferred).

Tyler Anderson, Luis Rengifo, and Taylor Ward received some trade buzz at the deadline, but the trades did not make sense for the club at the time (per Minasian). Maybe those trade offers get a little more bulky and Minasian pulls the trigger this time around, as many Angels fans were left scratching their heads at the relative inactivity. The team did move off Carlos Estévez and Luis García.

The Angels will pick their lane this offseason, either building the team up or tearing it down. There are several paths Minasian and his group can take, but there are three players who will undoubtedly be cast off.

Brandon Drury

The Angels' utility man made $8.5 million in the last year of his deal, but posted an absolutely dreadful season. Whether the Angels are trying to tank or not, they will cut ties with Drury. While Drury remains a leader on and off the field to a young group of players, both Drury and the Angels will be looking for a change of scenery.

As it stands, the Angels' infield will pencil in Rendon at 3B, Neto at SS, Rengifo at 2B, and Schanuel at 1B. Trout will be DHing more next year. In theory, Drury could fill in at 2B/3B for the unreliable Rendon and oft-injured Rengifo, plus he could platoon with the left-handed hitting Schanuel at 1B and DH on Trout's off days. However, Drury will be looking for an opportunity to play every day, despite the poor season, and the Angels could only bring him back in a bench role. Maybe Drury would accept a reduced salary and reduced responsibilities with the team that rostered him the past two years, but he will likely take his talents elsewhere if presented the same amount of money or an increased role.

Matt Moore

Matt Moore signed with the Angels before the 2023 season for 1 year and $7.55 million. They waived the left-handed reliever to shed salary in order to avoid the luxury tax penalties, and lost him to Cleveland. Moore resigned before the 2024 season for 1 year and $9 million.

The 35-year-old reliever appeared in 51 games, but was shut down for good in late-August with a forearm injury. Moore had the worst FIP, HR/9, and BB/9 of his entire 13-year-career in 2024. He ranked last in fWAR amongst Angels pitchers, which says a lot given how poor the entire staff pitched this season. Like Drury, Moore is simply too ineffective to retain next season, even at a reduced salary and role.

The Angels are luckily gifted with a multitude of intriguing bullpen arms moving forward, and have never had too many issues in signing free agent relievers in recent years. Between any free agent signing they make, plus Ben Joyce, Robert Stephenson (yes, he still exists), Brock Burke, José Quijada, and Ryan Zeferjahn, the Angels could put together a decent bullpen without Moore.

Kevin Pillar

The 35-year-old outfielder is likely retiring, and while he will not be rostered by the Angels moving forward perhaps they could keep him in a coaching or front office role? Pillar provided the Angels clubhouse with steady leadership and toughness that hopefully reverberated throughout the clubhouse. The defensive wizard unfortunately posted a -2.8 defensive fWAR this season, a mark that clearly shows he is on his last legs. Luckily, Pillar claimed his 10 years of service time and will likely sail off into the sunset.

If Trout gets his way and the Angels are given the go-ahead to acquire more position players, then outfield is a major area of need. The Angels have Trout, Ward, Moniak coming back, and likely Jo Adell too. A serviceable, reliable outfielder will be needed with Trout taking more games at DH next season, and Pillar coming off the books.

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