Ranking Angels’ most likely free agent targets based on John Mozeliak’s history

Los Angeles Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak may only have a couple more weeks on the job as the incoming ownership group searches for a replacement, but he could still make some signings even if he probably won’t be allowed to make any major moves.

Mozeliak was pretty aggressive at the trade deadline for the Halos, and dealt away some big names so there’s a chance he will be aggressive in free agency as well.

More realistically though, he will probably only be allowed to make more modest signings rather than huge trades and his history as the president of baseball operations for the St. Louis Cardinals could lead to a couple of reunions before his tenure is over.

3 realistic moves John Mozeliak could make this month

Jack Flaherty

Once upon a time, Jack Flaherty was the ace of the Cardinals staff. He got NL Cy Young votes back in 2019 after he had a 2.75 ERA in 33 starts. While he has never quite been able to replicate that same level over the course of a full season, he now makes sense for an Angels team that could use more depth in the rotation.

In 2026 with the Detroit Tigers, Flaherty had a 4.48 ERA in 88 innings. He could probably be had on a pretty affordable one-year deal and he’d make sense as a veteran to pad out the rotation.

JoJo Romero

Mozeliak’s Cardinals traded for left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in 2022 and he turned into a solid reliever with St. Louis. The Cardinals traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2026 and he was part of that strong bullpen that helped the Brewers win the World Series.

The Angels could certainly use some help in the bullpen and Romero would make a ton of sense. He’s not seen as one of the premium relievers on the market so maybe the Angels could slide in and sign him. Romero is a Southern California native too so the allure of coming home may be enough to get him although he reportedly is open to a reunion with St. Louis.

Miles Mikolas

Another former Cardinal Mozeliak could sign is Miles Mikolas. He had some really strong seasons with the St. Louis and was an All-Star in both 2018 and 2023 he hasn’t shown off All-Star form as of late and had a 5.82 ERA last season with the Washington Nationals, but maybe he could be brought in on a one-year deal potentially even as a reliever. It would be a low-risk move betting on him finding a little bit of form towards the end of his career.

Mozeliak’s time is running out with the Angels so he might as well sign some of his former Cardinals players to give Los Angeles a bit more pitching depth ahead of the lockout. 

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