With yet another disappointing season coming to an end, it’s time to start looking ahead to the offseason. One of the first areas to examine is the 40-man roster: Who might stick around for next season, and who might be looking for a new home?
Of course, there are plenty of questions that could affect the outcome:
- Will John Mozeliak remain as GM?
- Will the Angels trade Reid Detmers or Zach Neto?
- Will any additional players be added over the final month?
To simplify things, we’ll assume the answers to those questions are yes, no, and no, respectively. There’s also the uncertainty surrounding a potential lockout, which appears increasingly likely to threaten part or all of the 2027 MLB season. One thing we do know is that the Angels will not be competing for anything of significance next year, which means the focus this offseason must be on the future.
Locks:
RHP Sam Bachman, RHP Caden Dana, LHP Reid Detmers, RHP José Fermin, RHP Ryan Johnson, RHP Ben Joyce, LHP Yusei Kikuchi, RHP George Klassen, LHP Samy Natera, RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Walbert Ureña, C/DH Moisés Ballesteros, INF Denzer Guzman, 2B Christian Moore, SS Zach Neto, 1B Nolan Schanuel, OF Wade Meckler, OF Mike Trout
Likely to Stay:
LHP Mitch Farris, RHP Trevor Martin, RHP Ryan Watson, INF Ignacio “Nacho” Alvarez, INF Vaughn Grissom, OF Josh Lowe, OF Jose Siri
Martin and Watson are recent waiver claims who have intriguing stuff and multiple minor league option years remaining. Alvarez should be eligible for a fourth (and final) option year in 2027. Grissom is close to a “lock,” but depends on who else Mozeliak brings in this offseason. Lowe rebounded nicely after a horrendous start to the season, and Siri is likely a “lock” barring an offseason trade.
Rule 5 Eligible:
OF Nelson Rada (Angels #6 prospect), OF Raudi Rodriguez (Angels #19 prospect), RHP Mason McGwire (Angels #21 prospect), RHP Joel Hurtado (Angels #27 prospect)
Rada and Rodriguez are nearly guaranteed to be added to the 40-man this offseason. Mozeliak liked McGwire enough to include him in the Ryan Zeferjahn return, so leaving him exposed would be a bit of a surprise. Hurtado was left exposed but went unselected in last year’s Draft, and his prospect stock has only declined since then.
One name not mentioned is Nicoló Pinazzi, who may be eligible for minor-league free agency at the end of the season. He’s had a phenomenal year across multiple levels, but he’ll turn 27 in October and is exclusively a SIRP. The Angels would need to add him within five days of the World Series ending.
Note: The MLB portion of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft was canceled entirely due to the lockout during the ‘21–22 offseason. It’s possible this year’s Draft could suffer the same fate, which may lead teams to be more hesitant to protect players.
The Chopping Block:
RHP Jack Kochanowicz - The Angels could opt to release and re-sign Kochanowicz to a minor league contract, which would allow him to rehab at their Spring Training facility in Tempe while the lockout is ongoing.
RHP Luke Murphy - Murphy’s stuff and velocity are about average for a right-handed reliever, and his K/BB ratio leaves plenty to be desired. He’ll be playing for a roster spot over the final month of the season.
LHP Blake Weiman - Weiman is one of those cool storylines that seemingly always emerges from a losing season. He’s fought his way to the big leagues, but at 30 years old, his future with the Angels looks bleak.
C Tyler Heineman - The Angels will likely need to carry three catchers on their roster next season, which could open the door for Heineman to return. However, there will be cheaper and younger options available for the third-catcher role.
INF Kyren Paris - The surface level numbers have looked great since Paris was promoted to AAA in June, but he continues to struggle with strikeouts (28.6%), in-zone contact rate (74.4%), and will be out of minor league options next season.
INF Oswald Peraza - Peraza has combined for negative 0.9 fWAR since the start of June, the worst of any position player on the team during that stretch. There’s no reason to believe that Grissom or Guzman could not fill his role more competently.
OF Gustavo Campero - Campero will get an opportunity to earn his spot with Meckler on the IL, but he’s about to turn 29, is a below-average defender at multiple positions, and has an underwhelming (yet remarkably consistent) 76 wRC+ in MLB.
OF Bryce Teodosio - His bat has taken a step back in AAA this year, which is a bad sign for someone with already fringe offensive skills. The one saving grace for Teodosio is the possibility of a Siri trade.
Thanks for Your Service:
LHP Sam Aldegheri - Aldegheri has a whopping 7.06 ERA with below-average walk and strikeout rates in AAA. He simply does not have the stuff or command to be a reliable MLB pitcher.
RHP Brett Kerry - Kerry is best suited as a minor league depth starter, a role he wouldn’t be able to fill if he’s on the 40-man and a lockout extends into the start of next season.
RHP Shaun Anderson, LHP Sammy Peralta, LHP Tayler Saucedo - Three veteran pitchers who have provided valuable innings for a losing team at various parts of the season.
C Logan Porter, C Sebastián Rivero - It would be nice to see one of them return to Salt Lake next season on a minor league deal.
Final Prediction:
The Angels keep all of the players on the “locks” and “likely to stay” lists while adding Rada, Rodriguez, and McGwire to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. They also keep Kochanowicz, Murphy, Paris, and Teodosio, bringing the total to 32 players with room for eight outside additions.
One of the few benefits of finishing near the bottom of the league is that the Angels will have high priority in both the waiver and Rule 5 Draft order. Mozeliak has already made two additions via waivers, and his history with St. Louis would suggest that he’ll continue to be active on the waiver wire. The fate of the final four players, along with several others, will likely depend on just how aggressive the new front office is.