What Are the Key Departures the Angels Are Facing as Free Agency Begins?
As the 2025 World Series champion has been crowned, the Los Angeles Angels will be losing some key players heading into the offseason. Among those are a few players who have good chances of returning to the Big A in 2026, while others should remain away from the Halos. The Angels would also like to see some of their prospects get real playing time with the big league club to avoid spending. Let’s take a look at a few of the big names who will be hitting free agency now that the 2025 season has come to a close.
RHP Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen has been one of the Halos' best out of the bullpen in 2025 and has stated he would like to stay in Anaheim going forward. Jansen signed a one-year, $10 million deal in last year's offseason. In 59 innings this season, Jansen had the lowest batting average against since 2021 at .175 and the lowest batting average in balls in play in his career at .196. It feels like an easy move for the Angels to re-sign the 38-year-old; however, it’s going to take more than $10 million per year to get the man back. Closers like Jansen are a rarity to find, especially this late into his career, and will undoubtedly be getting offers from around the league. The Angels shouldn’t just want Jansen back; they need him back.
INF Luis Rengifo
Luis Rengifo’s numbers in 2025 weren’t great. He slashed: .238/.287/.335 in 2025 with a WAR of 0.3. What Rengifo lacked with the bat, he made up for in defensive versatility, playing all over the infield and reps in the outfield as well. Even with that, it still doesn’t make up for an awful showing in a contract year. The Angels still have more holes to fill, and guys who fill in roles like Rengifo already has, like Christian Moore. There’s a really high chance that the Angels will let Rengifo walk instead of paying for a really good platoon/utility player.
LHP Tyler Anderson
A 2025 campaign that led to a 4.56 ERA in 26 games is nothing to write home about. Tyler Anderson is another player who probably won’t be making a return with the Angels. His three years with the Halos are the second-longest stint with an MLB team in his career, behind the Colorado Rockies. The numbers are nearly similar, and back then, Anderson’s career was in jeopardy of ending short. Now, he may be back in that situation. The Angels have better chances looking elsewhere.
INF Yoán Moncada
This is an interesting free agent. Yoán Moncada had his season cut short to 84 games in 2025 due to multiple injuries. Moncada spending as much time as he did on the injured list really hurt his chances at consistency, leading to some good games by the Angels' third baseman, including clutch hits late in games that kept the Angels within range of a win. However, Moncada’s year was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. His defense, constant injury, and inconsistency mark Moncada as a high-risk free agent. The 2025 season might make Moncada’s price an affordable one, and the Angels would probably like to have Moncada over Rengifo.
Overall, the Angels need to take 2026 seriously as they enter the offseason with many questions. How will a new manager on a one-year contract work with the Halos? Who will join the coaching staff? Do the Angels promote their prospects, or should they look into the free agent market? No matter the direction that they take, they need to make a clear decision on what the 2026 season will look like.
