Welcome to the mid January edition of Weekend Links. Yes, players are just a few weeks away from arriving at camp and yet the Angels have not filled any notable needs.
The Angels have gone backwards this off season. There’s simply no other way to describe it.
Perhaps they are laying in wait hoping to pounce on some discount free agents. You know, add just enough to pretend to compete. But really they should embrace reality and rebuild.
As far as those discount free agents? Let’s take a look at who could play second base for the team in 2026. Not exactly inspiring.
If you think second base is bad, wait until you look at the third base options. Nobody really wanted Nolan Arenado here but the Arenado trade to Arizona really puts the Angels in a tough spot.
I’m not going to say he’s our starting third baseman, but Kyren Paris played third base in Winter Ball and showed markedly improved plate discipline.
But, let’s give team AM/PM the benefit of the doubt for a moment and say they are going to reinvest the cash flow saved by Anthony Rendon’s restructure. Here’s how I’d probably spend that money. What do you think, do I break 75 wins?
With the Rendon restructure, the Angels payroll currently sits about $80 million lower than last year. That is almost certainly due to no longer having a local TV broadcast deal.
Those payroll figures do include all of the arbitration eligible signings. The Angels agreed to contracts for 2026 for every arb eligible player but Reid Detmers, and the difference between the two is not very large.
As I type this, the international signing period is going on and updates are coming fast and furiously. Looks like the Angels found a future infielder.
We’ll do a full recap of the international signings once the picture gets clearer. That’s my way of saying it won’t all be here.
We waited for years to see Jo Adell emerge as an impact player. Last year his power took a huge leap forward. Are the reasons for that power surge sustainable? Read that link and find out.
More signing news to link:
Didn’t we just have a closer who was drafted as a catcher last season?
And the system desperately needs help on the grass, so this is nice to see.
The biggest news from around baseball came from Chicago where the Cubs came out of nowhere to sign Alex Bregman. The great news here is the chowds are upset.
Boston kept adding to its rotation by signing Ranger Suarez to a big money deal.
The Angels are far from alone in being broadcast free agents. The Nationals recently turned their game production over to MLB.
Have a great holiday weekend and link what I missed. I truly wish we were a country that learned from MLK and practiced what he preached. One great thing about baseball is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like. Either you can hit the curveball or you can’t.
