WEST SACRAMENTO — When the Angels swept the Dodgers this week, they provided a glimmer of hope that 2025 might not be a lost cause.
The Angels improved to 59-62 with one quarter of the season to go. They are five games out of the third wild card spot in the American League. The Angels are 6-6 since the trade deadline, when they notably did almost nothing either to help them in the future or the present.
Despite General Manager Perry Minasian’s reluctance to give up on 2025, fans seem to be focused on 2026, as demonstrated by most of the questions submitted when we put out the call on Wednesday. While many of these are issues that won’t be determined until the winter, here’s our best effort to answer.
Q: When is Arte going to sell? — @zackeisen21
A: We might as well start with the big one. This has been the No. 1 question for many Angels fans ever since Arte Moreno pulled the team off the market in January 2023. Plenty of fans out there think nothing matters besides this.
The answer is the same today as it was then.
Moreno has given no indication in subsequent interviews, most recently this spring, that he is planning to sell anytime in the foreseeable future. Since then, I’ve heard nothing from others around the organization indicating that he’s changed his mind, and I ask regularly.
Q: Will the Angels be willing to spend on a couple bigger name FA’s to fill some of the bigger holes on the team to give them a legit chance at the playoffs next year? (Kyle Schwarber, Alex Bregman, Merrill Kelly, Luke Weaver, Pete Alonso, Michael King) — @DavidGiglioCA
A: The names you suggest are a wide spectrum of “bigger name” free agents.
I would say players like Schwarber, Bregman and Alonso would be definitely out. Since Moreno has gotten burned by the nine-figure contracts he’s offered recently, I wouldn’t expect him to do that again.
However, guys like Kelly and Weaver certainly wouldn’t be getting that kind of money. Those deals could be in line with deals the Angels gave Yusei Kikuchi or Robert Stephenson. I wouldn’t rule out deals for three years or less at a total value of about $70 million or less.
Q: Have there been any whispers on extending some of the young guys, specifically Zach Neto? — @UnforgivenHalos
A: Early contract extensions are done at a time when the team believes it can save a lot of money by guaranteeing the player a significant salary before he’s proven himself.
In Neto’s case, it’s probably too late for that. The expected progression for him now would be to reach free agency after 2028 and then sign a deal of at least six years. So to buy him out of that, you’re looking at a nine-year deal worth something like $200 million.
I can’t see Moreno doing anything like that. Remember, he’s not only feeling burned by big free agent deals, but he signed Mike Trout to two extensions, and the current one isn’t looking great right now.
Q: What are they going to do with (Jorge) Soler in 2026? — @memphiscds
A: This is a good question. Soler is signed through next season, and the Angels are on the hook for $13 million of his $16 million salary. (The San Francisco Giants are still paying the rest.) It’s become clear this season that Soler’s body doesn’t respond well to playing so much outfield.
For next season, the Angels either need to get Trout to the point where he can play outfield regularly again, or else have Soler alter his training regimen to prepare him for more work in the field. The former seems more likely, but that also might be optimistic.
The alternative would be to try to move Soler to a team that could use him at DH. The Angels might have to pay some of his salary to do that.
The guess here is that Soler will still be on the Angels next season, providing some coverage in case Trout goes on the injured list.
Q: Does (Bryce) Teodosio get a chance to earn a starting spot in spring training? — @CtfThe
A: That depends entirely on who else the Angels have. Outfielders Taylor Ward, Jo Adell and Trout are all under contract for next season.
Generally speaking, though, I do believe Teodosio has a chance to carve out a regular spot for himself because he’s so good defensively. His defense and speed are tools that should continue to play, no matter how he hits. And the early returns show that he might be able to hold his own as a hitter.
Even if he doesn’t hit and the Angels find someone else to play the outfield, Teodosio would seem to be a useful player to have on the bench as a fourth outfielder and pinch-runner.
Q: Will (Nelson) Rada be called up in two weeks? (Or earlier) — @BTChalkLines
A: For all of the promise that Teodosio has shown in a few weeks, Rada is still the Angels’ center fielder of the future. And he’s been climbing on prospect lists. The 19-year-old is an elite defensive outfielder, and he’s hit .285 this season with a .744 OPS. That includes a 1.045 OPS in his first nine games at Triple-A Salt Lake.
That said, I’d be surprised if Rada comes up this season for a couple of reasons. First, he doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter, so if they put him on now, that locks up a spot for the entire winter and for years to come.
Also, once he’s on the 40-man roster, any season in which he’s not in the major leagues counts as an option. The last thing the Angels want is to create a situation in which he could be out of options when he’s 22 or 23 years old.
Q: Any update on (Anthony) Rendon’s injury recovery and what his future is with the Angels? — @ReneVanderveld8
A: A surprising number of you asked about Rendon. I didn’t think he was missed that much.
Rendon had season-ending hip surgery in February, and he’s still rehabbing. He hasn’t been around the team, which seems to work best for both sides.
As of now, the indication I’ve gotten is the Angels will keep him on the roster for the final year of his seven-year deal and see what he can provide. Any production would be an unexpected bonus. If at some point in the future he has another injury or setback that would prevent him from playing in 2026, that obviously would end his Angels career.
There is also some sentiment around the organization that the best move would be to simply release him over the winter, freeing up the 40-man roster spot and ridding them of any potential distraction if he’s around next year. I doubt that would happen, but it wouldn’t shock me.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 6-7, 3.37 ERA) at Athletics (TBD), Friday, 7:05 p.m., FDSN West, 830 AM