Last year, less than 24 hours after the final out was recorded in the World Series, the Angels dealt Griffin Canning to the Atlanta Braves for Jorge Soler. It was the first of three trades made by Perry Minasian ahead of the 2025 season, and exists as further evidence that Perry likes to get trades done early in the offseason.
History tells us that Perry is almost certain to make a trade ahead of the Winter Meetings, so here are some options that I came up with, plus my thoughts on some reported speculation.
Sellers
I labeled this section sellers, but I can’t see many scenarios where the Angels would make a deal that makes them worse in 2026. Short of Pittsburgh offering Konnor Griffin for Brock Burke, I suspect any trade the Angels make will be done to improve their chances at contending next year. That said, there are ways to sell that improve the Angels’ playoff odds in 2026.
The first place to look at is the Angels’ corner outfield/DH logjam of Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Jorge Soler, and Mike Trout. I’ve discussed trading Jorge Soler before (my proposed package is stated again at the end of this article), and I think that is by far the best outcome for this team. I’m not comfortable with either Trout or Soler playing the outfield next year, which should make trading Soler the only logical move.
From that perspective, I’m surprised that all of the conversation has been about Taylor Ward and Jo Adell, but I suppose speculation on the Angels dumping Soler’s contract is significantly less headline-worthy.
With Jo Adell, my take is that the Angels would have to be overwhelmed with an offer to make a deal. If the Angels are intent on making the playoffs next season, then it’s hard to imagine how that’s possible without another breakout year from Jo Adell. Trading him for a starting pitcher would raise the floor of this team, but I don’t know if it leaves them with a realistic path towards October.
For a team to meet that threshold, they would need to have a hole in the outfield, the desire to compete now, and an excess of value in a position group, ideally starting pitching. You could argue the Phillies and a name like Andrew Painter, but with Wheeler’s health, Nola’s age, and Suarez on the FA market, I don’t think they’ll consider Painter expendable just yet. The team that I think fits that description and makes sense here are the Dodgers.
If you assume that the Dodgers strike out on Kyle Tucker, then shifting to Jo Adell feels like a logical move. The Dodgers, with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to pitching, could also afford to move on from somebody like Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, Gavin Stone, or Landon Knack. The more I think about it, the more I hate how much sense this makes, so I will go ahead and make it my first predicted trade of this article. I’ll aim high and ask for Emmet Sheehan, only because as mentioned the Angels are only making this deal if they are blown away. I’d expect the Dodgers to say no, but this is what I feel it would take for the Angels to move Adell.
Mock Trade #1
LAA Receive: Emmet Sheehan
LAD Receive: Jo Adell
Trading Taylor Ward makes sense to me. Ward is a known commodity at this point, and enters free agency at the end of the 2026 season. If the Angels are happy with an outfield of Adell, Teodosio (or a FA), and Trout/Soler, then moving Ward for a position of need makes a lot of sense. It’s not my preferred option, but a lot of signs are pointing to one of Trout or Soler playing a corner outfield role next year.
The two teams discussed most in relation to Ward have been the Royals due to their surplus of starting pitching, and the Phillies due to their need for an outfielder. This won’t be the most original take, but Alec Bohm for Taylor Ward lines up well for both teams. Some dominos would first need to fall, such as the Phillies signing a replacement third baseman, and also missing out on Kyle Tucker, but in most scenarios, there’s going to be a Taylor Ward-shaped hole in the Left Field of Citizens Bank Park with the Phillies wanting Alec Bohm to be the currency that gets it done.
Replacing Alec Bohm’s production with a Murakami, Okamoto, Bichette, Bregman, or Suarez, while replacing Kepler’s production with Taylor Ward, is such an obvious upgrade for a Philadelphia team that's hell-bent on winning a World Series with its current core.
From the Angels’ perspective, Alec Bohm isn’t the most exciting name, and isn’t the left-handed bat that they’re looking for, but he fills a need at third base and might thrive with a change in scenery.
Mock Trade #2
LAA Receive: Alec Bohm
PHI Receive: Taylor Ward
There was a Jon Morosi report this week that the Angels could hypothetically deal Logan O’Hoppe. I don’t see the logic in this at all. For one, I hate the idea of selling low on somebody like O’Hoppe. Secondly, like Adell, your playoff hopes in 2026 rely on O’Hoppe breaking out. It’s hard to see how this team has more upside with d’Arnaud at catcher, and whatever unremarkable piece that they’d get back by trading O’Hoppe.
Finally, it was reported this week that Robert Stephenson has avoided surgery, and will be ready for the start of Spring Training. This is great news, but also makes Stephenson a prime trade candidate for the Angels to shed salary. I look at a team like the New York Yankees, who need all the help that they can get in the bullpen, and who also won’t be scared off by the $11 million price tag, as a potential fit for Stephenson.
The Angels could also use help in the bullpen, but having an additional $11 million could mean the return of Kenley Jansen, or the addition of a center field option such as Cedric Mullins. Stephenson was a luxury that the Angels could never afford, and moving him would allow the Angels to reinvest that money more strategically.
Mock Trade #3
LAA Receive: Player To Be Named Later
NYY Receive: Robert Stephenson
Buyers
From my perspective the Angels will be buyers this offseason, and have established enough pitching depth in their farm that I could see them being comfortable trading some of their best prospects for a difference maker. If the Angels are intent on competing next year, then I’d fully expect them to dip into their farm to add to their roster.
Jarren Duran
The Boston Red Sox have a young outfield trio of Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. It’s a fantastic core, but it leaves no room for former All-Star Jarren Duran. This situation has been talked about for a while now, and it’s now at the point where Bob Nightengale reported that it would be a "huge surprise" if Duran is not traded.
The major hurdle is that reportedly the Red Sox want pitching prospects who can help them next year. The Angels have a lot of almost-ready prospects, such as George Klassen, Caden Dana, Ryan Johnson, and Tyler Bremner, which may not be what the Red Sox are looking for.
However, the upside of bringing in a talent like Duran, who has three years of control left, is too compelling to ignore. I’ve included him in this article, because having Duran in center field would be my dream outcome.
Luis Robert Jr
The White Sox have been patiently waiting for the right return for Robert Jr, and at this point I’m not sure it’s coming.
Robert Jr will be paid $20 million next year, and his deal includes a team option for 2027 at the same amount. If Robert Jr was on the open market, most teams would be hesitant to pay him that much money. The fact that you’re also being asked to give up a top-100 prospect, and other relevant prospect capital, makes trading for Robert Jr hard to justify.
If I’m the Angels, I’d consider making an offer of Caden Dana and Ubaldo Soto, and seeing where that takes me. Dana is your former top-100 headliner, and Soto is your high-upside lottery ticket, and together may be just the right amount of prospect capital to give up for a guy who needs to rebound after two rough years in Chicago. I’d fully expect the White Sox to decline that offer, and hope they could get more value for him at the deadline.
Joe Ryan
Joe Ryan is the headliner for available names held by teams that would 100% only be looking for prospect capital in return. He is under control for two more years, and is about as reliable as it gets for a starting pitcher. The Twins, as evidenced by the previous deadline where they traded away 10 names, are in full-sell mode, and potentially could be looking to sell-off Ryan to the highest bidder.
I do question what has changed from when Ryan wasn’t dealt last July, but if you assume he is available as reported, then he’d be at the top of the Angels’ wish list. That said, a Joe Ryan market would be incredibly competitive, and every contending team would enter the bidding war for his services. Unfortunately, I think this market may be too competitive for me to view Ryan as a realistic option for the Angels.
MacKenzie Gore
The Nationals recently hired Paul Toboni as President of Baseball Operations, and the expectation held by many is that he’ll be looking to push the National’s window back a year or two and focus on adding to their farm system. If this reporting is true, then Gore, who has two years left of control, would be the obvious candidate for Washington to sell.
Gore, like Joe Ryan, is proven, however not to the point that contending teams would view him as their missing piece. Despite being an All-Star this year, he still struggles with consistency and ended the year with an ERA of 4.17. For this reason, I can imagine his market being tepid enough that he’d be the right name for the Angels to go all-in on.
I’d headline the trade with George Klassen, a top 100 prospect per FanGraphs. Klassen is like Gore in a lot of ways, and offers the Nationals a starter with great stuff. Dylan Jordan is my next inclusion, and is currently my 6th ranked prospect. He boasts an incredible sinker, but needs a more-rounded arsenal as he currently uses the sinker and slider 90% of the time. I’ll round the trade off with Walbert Urena, my 20th ranked prospect. Moving Urena saves the Angels a roster spot, but offers value to Washington as an arm that can reach 101 mph.
Mock Trade #4
LAA Receive: MacKenzie Gore
WSN Receive: George Klassen, Dylan Jordan, and Walbert Urena.
Brendan Donovan
Brendan Donovan looks like an ideal fit for the Angels this winter. Donovan is a left-handed utility bat, who the Angels could play at second or third base. He brings consistent offensive value, and the defensive versatility that the Angels are losing with Luis Rengifo. He has two more years of control left, and the Cardinals are reportedly intent to sell under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom.
The fit here is obvious, so the question now is what the cost would be for the Angels. Ryan Johnson I’ve included as the headliner in my mock trade, as one of the two Angels’ top 100 prospects per MLB Pipeline. I’ve also included Trey Gregory-Alford, who I have as the Angels’ 8th ranked prospect. He doesn’t turn 20 until next May, and already has an arm that can top out at 100.9 mph. He has a projectable 6-5 235lb frame that with his arm will make scouts fall in love with his potential. Finally, I’ve added Guzman, my 12th ranked prospect, who gives the Cardinals an immediate replacement for Donovan’s versatility.
This may feel like an overpay, but Ryan Johnson’s delivery and L/R splits suggest a ton of reliever risk, and Gregory-Alford, despite his talent, is still a lottery pick at this stage. Guzman being ranked 12th is also indicative of how weak the Angels’ farm system is, and would be ranked much lower in other organizations.
Mock Trade #5
LAA Receive: Brendan Donovan
STL Receive: Ryan Johnson, Trey Gregory-Alford, and Denzer Guzman
There are endless names that you can speculate on as potential trade targets, but these were the five who I felt were the most relevant. The way the Angels operate, I’d fully expect any trade to feature names that surprise everybody, but hopefully this article offers a glimpse into the Angels’ possible direction.
And finally, because I like tables, here are the five mock-trades presented in table format. I’ve also included my previously-written-about salary dump of Jorge Soler.
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