The Angels received league-wide praise for their trade that sent Taylor Ward to Baltimore in exchange for former top pitching prospect and potential ace Grayson Rodriguez. It got the offseason started off with a boom for the Halos, as they hope to take another step forward in 2026 and hopefully end their MLB-worst 11-year playoff drought.
The Angels still need rotation help - especially with the expected innings limit for Rodriguez. Finding a frontline starter in free agency is a must, but their depth is going to be important for 2026 as well. That got made a little more difficult as the team opted to leave two promising arms unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft, deciding not to add them to the 40-man roster ahead of the deadline.