For the duration of the 2020s, you’ve had a greater chance of winning three lottery tickets in one night than of seeing Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels play a postseason game.
Monday’s 5-2 loss to the Red Sox officially eliminated the Angels from playoff contention, and only 18 games remain in a dreadful 54-90 season. They’ve managed to avoid 100 losses since debuting in 1961, though that streak is in legitimate danger of ending.
Stan Kroenke’s impending arrival, assuming he’s approved as the Angels’ next owner this coming winter, is great news for those who’d long since lost faith in Arte Moreno. Although Trout hasn’t requested a trade, we’re nonetheless expecting the 2027 roster to look much different, beginning with someone who hasn’t played a big-league game since 2024.
Anthony Rendon, 3B
Well, duh.
Rendon restructured his contract this past offseason, which some interpreted to mean that the team had released him outright. Instead, the Angels essentially told him to get as far away from them as possible for the final year of his deal. Considering that he’d provided the team with a .666 OPS and 1.7 bWAR over 205 games from 2021-24, we’re not sure how much he’d have helped this year’s club had he been healthy.
For as widely mocked as the Bobby Bonilla deal is, at least the Mets only owe him $1.1 million per year. The Angels will pay Rendon roughly $7.6 million annually through 2030, a process that began this season.
Reid Detmers, P
Frankly, we’re still surprised the Angels didn’t trade the 27-year-old Detmers ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline. Although he’s only 4-8 through 28 starts, he’s closing in on his first 200-strikeout season and owns a solid 3.44 ERA. The veteran lefty has also dropped his walk rate from 9.4 percent to 6.8 percent, easily the best of his six-year career.
Regardless of what happens with Tarik Skubal, we expect the Dodgers to make a play for Detmers this offseason. Shohei Ohtani is facing mounting questions about whether he’ll continue to be a two-way player, and the injury-prone duo of Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow cannot be trusted. The Red Sox and Brewers also make sense as landing spots for Detmers, who is under team control through 2029.
Yoán Moncada, 3B
Moncada is a card-carrying member of the “there is no way this guy is still playing” club, and he’s not alone on the Angels. Did you know that veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who turns 37 next February, has been a platoon player since the Logan O’Hoppe trade?
As for Moncada, he’s in a familiar place: the injured list. The Angels gambled on him last year as a bounce-back candidate, and he was worth .0.8 bWAR in nearly 300 plate appearances. However, he hit just .189 with three homers and a .605 OPS through 41 games before undergoing season-ending right knee surgery.
Zach Neto, SS
The Star Tribune (Minn.) reported earlier this summer that the Twins called the Angels about Neto leading up to the trade deadline. However, a trade “never gained traction” because the Angels asked for top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins, who the Twins felt was untouchable. Jenkins debuted on Aug. 28 and has gone 4-for-29 with a home run and five RBIs.
Neto, who turns 26 in January, is hitting .236 with 23 home runs, 67 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and a .743 OPS. He’ll have no shortage of potential suitors this coming offseason, and the Angels would be foolish not to at least hear other teams out. We’ll see if teams like the Yankees, who could have numerous infield holes, view him as a long-term shortstop or are open to moving him elsewhere.
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