Injury Notes: Vasil, Neto, Jung, Wheeler
White Sox right-hander Mike Vasil left today’s Spring Training game with elbow soreness, the team announced. He is set to undergo further testing. Vasil started the game with 3 2/3 scoreless innings before issuing two walks, calling for the trainer, and ultimately departing. That continued his effort to build up as a starter after working mostly in relief in 2025. In 101 innings over 47 appearances (three starts), he posted an excellent 2.50 ERA, albeit with less-shiny peripherals including a 4.32 FIP. On the plus side, Vasil induced groundballs 51.4% of the time and provided plenty of value by eating innings. Though he proved himself in the bullpen last year, he had an outside shot at joining the rotation in 2026, according to manager Will Venable.
The Sox open their season on March 26 on the road against the Brewers, so Vasil may not have time to fully build up if he is anything more than day-to-day. If he misses time, the club will roll with Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, and Erick Fedde in the rotation behind 2025 All-Star Shane Smith. Given that he’s stretched out for multiple innings, Vasil could return to long relief at first then join the rotation later if there’s an injury.
A few other injury updates from around the league:
- Angels shortstop Zach Neto injured his left hand on a head-first slide into home in today’s game against the Mariners. He was set to undergo tests after the game, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Neto ended the 2025 season on the injured list with a left hand strain, and he underwent surgery in 2024 to fix a right shoulder injury that he incurred from a head-first slide. Today’s injury doesn’t seem nearly as serious, with manager Kurt Suzuki saying “it was a little more optimistic” after he spoke to Neto in the dugout. If Neto misses time, one of Vaughn Grissom or Oswald Peraza could draw some early starts at shortstop for the Halos.
- Rangers third baseman Josh Jung took six plate appearances on a back field today, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. He’ll take a few more tomorrow, then play against the White Sox on Monday. Jung has been out of action since February 24 due to a Grade 1 adductor strain, though manager Skip Schumaker downplayed the severity of the injury. Jung batted .251/.294/.390 with a 91 wRC+ in 131 games in 2025. He stayed healthy outside of a minimum IL stint at the start of the year, but it marked his first below-average offensive campaign since his 26-game debut in 2022. Both Jung and Shumaker seem confident that the former will be ready for Opening Day.
- Phillies ace Zack Wheeler threw a live batting practice session today, his first time facing hitters since undergoing thoracic outlet surgery in September. He will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday, manager Rob Thomson told reporters including Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. That could set him up to appear in at least one game before the end of Spring Training, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Granted, this is more of an expected progression in Wheeler’s rehab than a sign that he will make an early return. Wheeler himself emphasized that “We’ve still got a long way to go,” while Thomson said last month that Wheeler could be back in action not “too far beyond” Opening Day.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Robert Stephenson Sidelined With Possible UCL Damage
11:41AM: In what Stephenson described as “heartbreaking” news to Jeff Fletcher, the setback is related to possible UCL damage. Another surgery certainly appears to be a possibility, but Stephenson will first visit Dr. Keith Meister to discuss any non-surgical methods.
“There is concern right now for the state of my UCL, and my flexor,” Stephenson said. “I’m going to see if there’s a way we can rehab this thing and be able to pitch this year, but I don’t know what it looks like….It’s three years and I’ve got 10 innings to my name. It sucks. I just want to be on the field.”
9:52AM: Robert Stephenson is dealing with yet another injury concern, as Angels manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that the right-hander has sustained some type of unspecified setback during his throwing sessions. Suzuki described the issue only as “a little setback,” but Stephenson will undergo tests to determine the extent of the matter.
Given the timing of this apparent injury and Stephenson’s checkered health history, it now seems very possible that he’ll begin the season on the Angels’ 15-day injured list. Even if this current issue is just a speedbump and Stephenson is back throwing in a few days’ time, his throwing progression could be scaled back a bit, plus the reliever has yet to pitch in any Cactus League games.
In his own words, Stephenson already went into Spring Training “a little bit behind everybody” after receiving an injection during the offseason to deal with some symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome. Still, it was just a week ago that Stephenson was feeling confident about his chances of making the Opening Day roster, as he had progressed to facing hitters during live batting practice sessions.
It’s an unwelcome start to Stephenson’s third season with the Halos, as the right-hander has barely pitched over the first two seasons of what was initially a three-year, $33MM contract. As per a clause in the contract, the Angels gained a $2.5MM club option for 2027 because Stephenson suffered a major elbow ligament-related injury — namely the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2024 season.
Stephenson returned to appear in two games in May 2025, but a nerve-related biceps problem forced him back to the IL for almost three more months. He made it back to pitch in 10 more games for Los Angeles before a bout of elbow inflammation ended his season. Stephenson’s Angels resume consists of just 10 innings in 2025, with a 2.70 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate.
While a small sample size, Stephenson’s solid numbers provided some hope that he could again flash the high-leverage form he showed (albeit on an inconsistent basis) in past seasons with the Reds, Rockies, Pirates, and Rays. On the other hand, the TOS symptoms provided a new injury scare, and it remains to be seen what imaging might reveal about this latest situation.
In better news for the Angels’ relief corps, Fletcher writes that Ben Joyce has added sliders to his throwing repertoire during bullpen sessions, and minor league signing Nick Sandlin is expected to soon move into game action after a pair of live BP sessions. One of the highest-velocity pitchers in baseball, Joyce had a seeming breakout season in 2024, but missed almost all of 2025 due to shoulder surgery. Sandlin also barely pitched in 2025, as a lat strain and elbow inflammation limited him to 16 1/3 innings with the Blue Jays.
Poll: Who Will Play Second Base For The Angels?
2026 looks likely to be another year of the Angels more or less spinning their wheels. With minimal changes to the roster coming off a 90 loss season (even in spite of a relatively healthy season for Mike Trout), the Halos will need a lot to go their way if they’re going to have any hope of being competitive this year.
One of the first things that the team will need to decide is who’s going to play second base. Luis Rengifo walked in free agency, leaving a hole at the keystone. Rather than bring in a more surefire addition like Gleyber Torres or Brandon Lowe, the Angels settled on having a number of players battle for the job this spring. In all, there are half a dozen candidates for reps still in camp. The Halos are surely hoping that one of those names will rise above the pack and run with the job, but who might that be?
Christian Moore is a former top-10 pick in the draft and top-100 prospect in the sport. He made it to the majors last year after rocketing through the minors in a speedy fashion that’s become typical for Halos prospects in recent years. He seemed to hit a wall once he reached the big leagues. In 53 games as a major leaguer, he hit just .198/.284/.370 with a wRC+ of 82. That first stint in the majors was far from a disaster, especially for a player who played all of last year at 22 years old. But a 33.7% strikeout rate suggests he might not be quite ready for the show yet, and his difficult spring (.175/.233/.250 in 40 at-bats) certainly isn’t helping matters. While Moore undoubtedly remains a big part of the club’s plans, it would not be a shock if the team decided he needs more time to develop in the minors.
Pivoting away from Moore would open the door to a cadre of non-roster veterans and out of options pieces on the 40-man roster bubble. Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom must either be carried on the roster or be designated for assignment and exposed to waivers. Peraza is regarded as a better defender than Grissom, capable of handling not only second base but also the hot corner and shortstop if needed. While Peraza hasn’t hit much in his career and is coming off a putrid .164/.223/.250 showing, Grissom has a below average hitter (82 wRC+) for his career and didn’t crack the majors last season as he posted middling numbers in Triple-A for the Red Sox. What’s more, Peraza is having a very strong camp with a .324/.378/.647 slash line in 37 trips to he plate. Grissom is carrying a .185/.333/.269 line across 33 plate appearances.
While Peraza appears to be a real threat to make the roster, it’s possible the Angels would prefer to keep him in a utility role given his ability to back up Zach Neto at shortstop and Yoan Moncada at third base. If that’s the case, they could turn towards their group of non-roster veterans. Nick Madrigal, Adam Frazier, and Chris Taylor all have ample experience at the keystone and are in camp on minor league deals. Taylor hasn’t hit much at all in either of the past two years, however, and while he’s had a solid camp (.241/.389/.483 in 36 plate appearances), he might be better suited for a bench role given his trademark versatility.
Frazier is in a similar boat as a player who has hit an excellent .353/.476/.412 in ten spring games. He could be an interesting choice if the team wants to add another lefty bat to their heavily right-handed lineup, but he could also be tapped to serve as a lefty bench bat with relative ease given his ability to play both second base and the outfield. As for Madrigal, he’s coming off a lost season due to injury. The former top prospect can play decent defense at either second or third base. While he’s a career .274/.323/.344 (88 wRC+) hitter in the majors, he brings an unique proclivity for contact to the table as evidenced by his career strikeout rate of just 9.0%. In 23 spring plate appearances, he’s hit a solid .333/.391/.429.
One wild card in the second base mix could be veteran infielder Jeimer Candelario. Candelario has played almost his whole career on the infield corners, with his pro experience at the keystone limited to just two innings of work in the Dominican Winter League over half a decade ago. That would make the 32-year-old an unorthodox choice to take over at second, especially given that he hit just .113/.198/.213 (10 wRC+) in 80 plate appearances with the Reds last year. Despite those question marks, Candelario’s solid camp (.267/.353/.567 in 32 plate appearances) has seemingly impressed Angels brass enough to give him a look at the position to see if he can be squeezed onto the roster. Whether the team will feel confident enough in Candelario’s ability to handle second base to actually give him regular reps at the position remains to be seen, however.
How do MLBTR readers think the Angels will settle their second base battle. Will they give the keys to Moore for another extended run right out of the gate? Or will they pivot to another option like Peraza, Frazier, or Madrigal? Could they roll the dice on Candelario despite his lack of experience? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will win the second base job for the Angels this year?
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Christian Moore 29% (682)
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Adam Frazier 23% (537)
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Vaughn Grissom 13% (296)
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Oswald Peraza 12% (290)
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Jeimer Candelario 9% (215)
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Nick Madrigal 9% (212)
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Chris Taylor 4% (103)
Total votes: 2,335
Latest On Angels’ Rotation Mix
The Angels entered camp with three-fifths of their rotation set. Yusei Kikuchi, José Soriano and Reid Detmers were locked in. Offseason reclamation pickups Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah started the spring as the favorites for the final two spots.
Neither has made a great first impression. Rodriguez has allowed seven runs with a 7:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio through eight innings. He has at least had encouraging velocity, averaging 95 mph on his fastball. He’s a wild card after missing the past season and a half to shoulder issues.
Manoah has had an even tougher time, giving up five runs with eight walks and only four strikeouts through 7 1/3 frames. The former Cy Young finalist, who also hasn’t made an MLB appearance since 2024, has been in the 91-92 mph range with his fastball. His velocity was in a similar spot last season in the minor leagues. Manoah threw 93-94 on average before undergoing elbow surgery two seasons ago.
Both pitchers still have a pair of minor league option years remaining. Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com writes that Manoah’s struggles, in particular, have opened the door to him beginning the season in the minors. That’d obviously open a rotation spot for someone else. Jack Kochanowicz and Sam Aldegheri seemingly represent the top two challengers.
Kochanowicz was arguably the worst regular starter in MLB last season. Among pitchers with 100+ innings, no one had a higher earned run average than his 6.81 mark. Only Erick Fedde had a lower strikeout/walk rate differential. Kochanowicz finished the season on optional assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake.
The sinkerballer has put a stronger foot forward in camp. Kochanowicz has only allowed two runs in 8 2/3 innings spanning three appearances. He has recorded five strikeouts with one walk while keeping the ball on the ground at a 60% clip. That shouldn’t outweigh last year’s struggles, but it could be enough to jump the struggling Manoah on the depth chart.
Aldegheri is one of the team’s more talented pitching prospects. He has been knocked around for a 6.41 ERA in his first seven big league appearances but is coming off a 3.78 ERA season in Triple-A. Aldegheri has only made two Spring Training outings for the Halos. His most impressive performance to date came for the surprisingly undefeated Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Aldegheri struck out eight over 4 2/3 scoreless frames against Brazil (admittedly one of the worst teams in the tournament).
Mitch Farris has had a slight velocity uptick this spring, but he has been rocked for 12 runs in six innings. Caden Dana is behind in camp after an offseason mononucleosis diagnosis. Walbert Ureña has made one career Triple-A start, while Victor Mederos has already been optioned out of MLB camp. Prospect George Klassen leads their group of non-roster invites. The 24-year-old has only made one Triple-A start but has bigger stuff than any of the depth pitchers on the 40-man roster.
It’s a rough group, but the Angels showed little interest in making a significant free agent upgrade. That’s essentially off the table at this point. Lucas Giolito, whose previous brief stint as an Angel couldn’t have gone worse, is the only unsigned starter who’s guaranteed to command a big league contract. Patrick Corbin and old friend Tyler Anderson are probably looking at minor league deals as they enter their respective age-36 seasons.
Angels Notes: Candelario, Infield, Lowe
Veteran infielder Jeimer Candelario is having a strong camp with the Angels and has been doing some drills at second base, reports Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. “We’re just seeing what our options are,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Candy’s been swinging the bat really well. He’s been playing really well.”
Candelario, 32, has some strong major league seasons on his track record but was hobbled by injuries in the past two campaigns. For what it’s worth, he has posted good numbers so far this spring, with a .333/.429/.708 batting line in 28 plate appearances. He won’t maintain a .467 batting average on balls in play forever but six of his eight hits have gone for extra bases.
Some skepticism towards that small sample of spring plate appearances would be warranted, especially after Candelario put up a line of just .207/.265/.394 over 2024 and 2025, but he battled injuries throughout most of that time. He had a combined slash of .254/.329/.437 from 2020 to 2023, which is what prompted the Reds to give him a three-year deal worth $45MM. Cincinnati responded to his struggles by releasing him, which eventually led to Candelario being in camp with the Halos.
If the Halos are thinking about giving him a roster spot, it makes sense to see what kind of versatility he can provide. He currently has no second base experience. He has only played the infield corners in his career. That goes for both the majors and the minors. The Halos have shortstop and first base spoken for, with Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel manning those positions, respectively.
Third and second base are more open. Yoán Moncada is theoretically the everyday third baseman but he has been very injury prone, especially lately. In his ten big league seasons, he only reached 132 games played in three of them, with the most recent instance coming back in 2021. The Angels have to operate under the assumption he will miss some time.
Second base is also a question mark. Christian Moore could be the answer but he has a .198/.284/.370 line in his career thus far and still has options. He has also been spending some time at third base in camp, so there’s some flexibility there. Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza are former prospects on the roster but neither has clicked in the big leagues yet. Both are out of options and could get squeezed.
Candelario is competing for a roster spot with other veteran non-roster invitees like Adam Frazier, Chris Taylor and Nick Madrigal. If he can play a bit of second base, it would add to his appeal and could give him a boost in that competition. The Halos will use one bench spot on backup catcher Travis d’Arnaud. Another will go to a depth outfielder, perhaps Bryce Teodosio. That could leave two spots for the group consisting of Candelario, Grissom, Peraza, Frazier, Taylor, Madrigal and others.
Candelario already has one thing going for him in that he’s cheap. The Reds are still on the hook for paying him this year, the final season of that aforementioned three-year deal. If the Angels give him a spot, they would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time he’s on the roster. The team seems to be dialing back payroll as they deal with a new broadcast revenue paradigm, so that’s surely an attractive element for them.
In a separate column, Fletcher provides an update on outfielder Josh Lowe, who has been battling left oblique soreness in camp. Suzuki said they will try to get him some game action as soon as Friday and suggested that should be plenty of time for him to get ramped up by Opening Day. Assuming Lowe avoids the injured list, he’ll be getting regular playing time in the outfield alongside Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Jorge Soler. Those four are expected to share the three outfield positions and the designated hitter slot.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Gonzalez, Stephenson, Dunn, Edman
As of last week, Red Sox utility infielder Romy Gonzalez was experiencing shoulder troubles and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. He admitted that he would likely miss Opening Day, though he may end up missing significantly more time. Today, Sean McAdam of MassLive adds that Gonzalez will visit a shoulder specialist next week to see if he needs to undergo surgery. Gonzalez opined that surgery “is not a season-ender by any means, in my opinion,” though any longer absence for the lefty-mashing infielder will be a blow to the Red Sox’ lineup regardless.
The right-handed-hitting Gonzalez injured his shoulder at the end of 2025 and experienced renewed soreness in January while ramping up for Spring Training. He posted career-best offensive numbers in 2025, batting .305/.343/.483 with a 123 wRC+ in 341 plate appearances for the Sox. While his performance against right-handers was slightly below average (95 wRC+), he absolutely teed off on southpaws. In 143 PA with the platoon advantage, Gonzalez hit seven of his nine home runs and posted a 162 wRC+ that was tied for 12th-best among hitters with at least 100 PA against lefties. Obviously, the team will hope he avoids surgery, but with that kind of production, they’ll do what it takes to ensure Gonzalez comes back at full strength.
A few other injury updates from around the league:
- Angels right-hander Robert Stephenson faced live hitters for the first time on Friday as he works to be ready for Opening Day, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Stephenson said there is understandably “a little polishing to do” but added that he felt good physically and reached 95 MPH on his fastball (he averaged 96.4 MPH on his four-seamer last year). Tommy John surgery and symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome have limited him to 10 innings with Los Angeles. In his last healthy season in 2023, Stephenson threw 52 1/3 innings with a 3.10 ERA and a well-above-average 38.3% strikeout rate. When healthy, he should factor into the late-inning mix with fellow right-hander Ben Joyce, who is currently rehabbing his own shoulder issue.
- Reds outfielder Blake Dunn is going for an MRI on his left knee today, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Dunn hyperextended his left knee while attempting to make a catch yesterday. The 27-year-old was a 15th-round draft pick by the Reds in 2021 and appeared in 49 big-league games from 2024-25, though he has posted just a 63 wRC+. He fared much better at Triple-A in 2025, batting .291/.397/.401 with a 121 wRC+ along with 24 stolen bases in 98 games. Currently, Cincinnati has Will Benson, Dane Myers, and Spencer Steer on hand as outfield backups. A healthy Dunn will stay at Triple-A for depth. [UPDATE: Dunn is dealing with a lower-grade knee strain, manager Terry Francona told Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters. Dunn will be sidelined for a few days, but appears to have avoided a lengthy absence.]
- Dodgers utilityman Tommy Edman took light batting practice yesterday, per Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic. He could face higher velocity off a machine in a few days if he continues to progress, but he is still weeks away from being fully ramped up. Edman underwent surgery in November to address an ankle issue that plagued him all season. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed a couple of weeks ago that Edman would begin the year on the injured list. This news won’t move up his return, though in any case, the team wants Edman at full strength. He is entering the second year of his five-year, $74MM contract. He posted an 81 wRC+ in 97 games in 2025, showing a drop in power while also striking out slightly less than in 2024.
Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images
Angels To Create TV Network
There’s a bit more clarity on the broadcast situation for the Angels. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports that the club has an agreement in place to purchase a portion of Main Street Sports and launch their own TV network. Some final details are still being worked out, so it won’t be officially announced until next week.
The new network will also involve the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and has not yet been named, but it will replace FanDuel Sports Network on cable and satellite providers in Southern California. Fans can also purchase a streaming package directly from the league. It would be $99.99 for just the Angels or $199.99 for the full league experience.
The Angels were one of nine MLB teams who had a deal with Main Street Sports as of a few months ago. That company, who owned the FanDuel Sports Network channels, has been having financial troubles for years as people move away from cable subscriptions and towards digital streaming. Main Street missed some payments to some clubs earlier this year, prompting all nine of them to terminate their deals. Within less than a month, six of them pivoted to having MLB handle their broadcasts.
Atlanta, the Tigers and the Angels were the three left up in the air. Atlanta launched BravesVision last month, a team-owned entity which will sell streaming rights to fans and work out TV deals in the future. The Tigers announced Detroit SportsNet earlier this week. It seems like MLB will be heavily involved in that one, as the network will be “powered by MLB” and subscribers can stream the Tigers through the MLB app. The network will broadcast the Tigers and the NHL’s Red Wings on television.
The Angels’ network will seemingly share some traits with Detroit SportsNet. Both will involve one MLB club and an NHL team. Both will also seemingly involve the MLB handling the streaming side of things.
This seems to be a positive development for fans. For those watching on television, nothing will really change. Even the on-air talent is expected to remain in place. For those who wants to stream the club locally with no blackouts, that is now possible. The impact for the club’s bottom line is less clear. As of a few years ago, the Angels were getting $125MM annually from their deal with Main Street, then known as Diamond Sports Group. Opening up local streaming will make up for some of that but surely not all.
RosterResource projects the Angels for a payroll of about $180MM this year, roughly $25MM shy of last year. That doesn’t account for the fact that Anthony Rendon agreed to defer most of his $38MM salary, saving the Halos about $30MM in the short term. Owner Arte Moreno recently spoke on the club’s financial situation and acknowledged that uncertainty with in the TV department was impacting spending. “Will it get back to $200 million? Probably,” Moreno said of the payroll. “We’ve got to get our TV thing worked out and we just have to improve our brand.”
Presumably, the new broadcast deal won’t immediately impact the roster. The Angels still have to work out things in terms of cable and satellite. They also presumably want to feel out the new streaming setup for a bit before making any rash decisions. There are still some notable free agents unsigned, including starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell. The Halos could use some extra depth in the rotation but it’s unclear if they plan to make a push for either of those two, or any other free agents.
Internally, the Angels will have a new leader on the business side. President John Carpino is going to retire on April 6th and will be replaced by senior vice president Molly Jolly. General manager Perry Minasian remains the front office leader on the baseball side.
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
Angels Notes: Neto, Moore, Lowe
The Angels and franchise shortstop Zach Neto worked out a $4.15MM arbitration settlement in January. That covered the first of four years of arbitration eligibility for the former first-round pick, who reached Super Two status this offseason.
If the sides discussed the possibility of any kind of longer-term deal, those talks apparently didn’t progress. Neto’s agent, Ryan Hamill of CAA, tells Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times that the Angels did not make any official long-term offers over the offseason. It’s unclear if the sides will have any conversations during Spring Training.
The Angels didn’t make any long-term commitments. All their free agent activity was limited to one year, with no individual player making more than $5MM. They also signed an atypically short one-year contract with new manager Kurt Suzuki (reportedly after talks with Albert Pujols about the job fell through).
It was a disappointing offseason for Halos fans who have endured the sport’s longest active playoff drought at 11 years. That was even before owner Arte Moreno’s baffling comments last week, in which he claimed that surveys indicated that “winning is not in (fans’) top five” concerns when attending games. Even if one believed that to be true of the fanbase, it’s a bizarre statement for an owner to make on the record, knowing it’ll get the attention of the players and coaches.
Neto told Shaikin he “really (doesn’t) have an answer to that” when asked if Moreno’s comments would be a concern for him in extension talks. However, he spoke broadly about valuing loyalty and said he’d be amenable to a long-term deal. “If it happens, it happens. I would love to stay here. I would love to be here. But, if it doesn’t, then not every road is meant to be.”
That may all be a moot point. The Angels terminated their local television deal with Main Street Sports this offseason, subtracting an important revenue source. MLB is handling their in-market distribution this year. Neto is coming off consecutive seasons that Baseball Reference valued around five wins above replacement. He’s on track to hit free agency at 29. There’s a decent chance it’d take a $200MM+ offer if the Angels wanted to buy out multiple free agent years.
Neto will be a fixture in the middle of the diamond for the next few seasons in either case. There’s far less certainty around him around the infield dirt. The Halos brought back Yoán Moncada on a one-year, $4MM deal to work as the primary third baseman. Christian Moore is the favorite at second base, where Vaughn Grissom, Denzer Guzman and non-roster invitees Nick Madrigal and Adam Frazier could all be in the mix.
Moore, the eighth overall pick in 2024, played 411 2/3 innings at the keystone as a rookie. He has been a full-time second baseman in pro ball and for the majority of his college career at Tennessee. The Angels gave Moore four innings at third base after subbing Moncada out of Saturday’s game.
Suzuki told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register) that Moore could get a start at the hot corner while Moncada is playing for Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. They’d ideally expand the second-year infielder’s versatility, which could make it easier to carry a veteran second baseman like Frazier or Madrigal on the bench.
In one bit of injury news, offseason trade pickup Josh Lowe is battling what appears to be minor soreness in his left oblique (via the MLB.com injury tracker). Lowe said he’ll miss a few days but doesn’t anticipate it threatening his availability for Opening Day. The right oblique has given Lowe problems over the past two seasons, so it’s a relief that the current issue on the opposite side.
MLBTR Podcast: Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Twins right-hander Pablo López requiring Tommy John surgery (3:20)
- The Orioles losing Jordan Westburg due to a partially torn UCL in his elbow (13:15)
- The Guardians signing Rhys Hoskins to a minor league deal but doing little else this winter (23:45)
- Angels owner Arte Moreno making some curious statements (35:50)
- The Braves and Chris Sale signing an extension (47:35)
- Tony Clark resigning as executive director of the MLBPA and being replaced by Bruce Meyer (53:40)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings – listen here
- Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, And More! – listen here
- Examining MLB’s Parity Situation – Also, Bellinger, Peralta, Robert, And Gore – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Jonah Hinebaugh, Imagn Images
Angels Owner Arte Moreno Discusses Payroll, Broadcast Situation
Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of Orange County Register and MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger) today about various topics related to the team. Fans are encouraged to check out the article for all the details, but Moreno’s comments about the Halos’ payroll and uncertain broadcast situation are particularly noteworthy.
The two issues are naturally connected. Last season, the Angels were on FanDuel Sports Network West, owned by Main Street Sports. The company has been in a rough financial spot for a while and recently missed some payments to teams. In response, the Angels and the eight other teams who were signed with Main Street terminated their deals last month. Six of those clubs will now have their broadcasts handled by Major League Baseball itself, though the Angels are (for now) one of the holdouts.
Moreno promised some clarity “in the next five to seven days,” and said that “I’m not telling you I won’t” eventually sign with MLB. That would seem like the easiest route for the Angels this close to the start of the season, since as Fletcher notes, plenty of “more work and negotiation” would be involved if the Halos pursued an alternative like starting their own TV network.
In signing on with MLB as a broadcast partner, teams can provide their fans with a blackout-free streaming option, but with less revenue going back to the club. Travis Sawchik of MLB.com recently wrote that such clubs get an average of roughly 50% less revenue than in past broadcasting contracts, and naturally it is no small thing having a consistent revenue stream suddenly halved.
With less money coming in, some teams have reacted by curbing or cutting spending on player payroll. The Angels have taken this route, as their 2026 payroll of $180.5MM (as estimated by RosterResource) is well below their $206MM figure from the end of the 2025 season. While Los Angeles has made some notable moves this winter, the club’s most substantial transaction from a payroll perspective might’ve been its agreement to buy out Anthony Rendon‘s final season under contract, deferring his $38MM salary for 2026 and spreading out that money over a five-year period.
Rendon’s bust of a contract is one of many high-profile signings that haven’t panned out for the Angels during Moreno’s ownership, so it makes some sense that Moreno would want to alter his approach. The owner is now prioritizing young talent ahead of bigger-ticket free agents as a way to finally get the Angels back on a winning track.
“The question is do one or two players substantially change (the record)? If you go out and spend $15 or $20 million a year times three or times five, it doesn’t get it done,” Moreno said. This doesn’t mean the Halos will keep going forward with a reduced budget forever, as Moreno said “will [payroll] get back to $200 million? Probably. We’ve got to get our TV thing worked out and we just have to improve our brand.”
Moreno bought the Angels in early 2003, and the first half of his ownership tenure has been far more successful than the second. From 2003-15, Los Angeles enjoyed 10 of 13 winning seasons and won six AL West crowns, twice advancing as far as the ALCS. The last decade, however, has been dismal — the Angels have endured 10 straight losing seasons, and are coming off a 72-90 showing in 2025. Between the many question marks on the L.A. roster and how even other teams within the AL West look much stronger on paper, it is hard to see the Angels getting back over the .500 mark this year.
This sustained lack of success has done untold damage to the Angels’ “brand,” which speaks to the catch-22 that Moreno faces in turning the team around while also spending less. Barring either a full teardown or a much stronger minor league pipeline being developed, it’s hard to see the Angels succeeding with what seems to be a half-measures approach to rebuilding.
The headline quote from Moreno’s interview will be his claim that, according to fan surveys, Angels supporters aren’t overly concerned with a winning team as part of their gameday routine. “The number one thing fans want is affordability,” Moreno said. “They want affordability. They want safety, and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five….The moms want to be able to afford to bring the kids. Moms make about 80% of the decisions. They want to be able to bring their kids and be affordable and they want safety and they want to have a good experience, so they get all the entertainment stuff or whatever.”
A winning Angels team above all is prioritized just by “the purists,” as Moreno said, though he says he shares that goal. “For me, I’ve always wanted to win. It’s just what’s the cost of winning right now?”
After 10 losing seasons, it seems like a tone-deaf response for Moreno to downplay his fans’ desire to see a winning team. Every fan would naturally want to take their family to the ballpark without having to break the bank, yet it is fair to say that Angels supporters would be more willing to spend a bit more on tickets if the team was competitive. The fact that fans apparently have winning so low on their list of priorities isn’t a good thing, as it may reflect a lack of faith from fans in their team, or a sign that if affordability is such a concern, fans may decide their entertainment dollars are better spent elsewhere than a team that never wins.
Unsurprisingly, Moreno feels “we can compete” in the coming season, feeling his team’s pitching will be substantially better. Moreno praised the work of GM Perry Minasian, but also hinted that this may be something of a make or break year given how the Angels have yet to get over the .500 mark in Minasian’s five seasons in charge of the front office. The possibility of a GM change may be one reason new manager Kurt Suzuki was only given a one-year contract last fall, as 2026 is also the last guaranteed year of Minasian’s contract.
“I really like Perry. At the end of the day, you have to start adding up wins and losses,” Moreno said.
In terms of his own stewardship of the franchise, Moreno said he has no plans to sell the team. Moreno did explore selling the Angels back in 2022, but pulled the team off the market in 2023, and reiterated today that he continues to love owning the team.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images