Top Three Things to Look For as Angels Camp Nears

Welcome to February. In nine days Angels pitchers and catchers will report to Tempe with position players due on the 16th. The Angels have had a very quiet off season when it comes to the Major League roster but they have been active on the minor league front. Here's what to look for as camp nears.

News of a local TV broadcast deal.

The lack of notable free agent signings and the lack of guaranteed local TV money are assuredly related. Lacking a key source of revenue, the team simply does not have the financial resources to go out and buy more talent.

In looking at the remaining free agent market, there's still plenty of talent available that could help the team. If the Angels are able to iron out a local TV deal they still have time to sign some of that talent and get it into camp in time to be ready for the regular season.

One reason there are so many free agents as the calendar flips to February is the fact the Angels are not alone. Nine teams opted out of their broadcast deals with Main Street Sports and are in the same boat. Getting a jump on the competition would be a huge advantage.

Non Roster Invitees

In addition to players on the active roster, teams bring in players from their minor league squads to get a good look at them. This group of players is called non roster invitees. In the Angels case, there are quite a few names that should get the call and are worthy of attention.

While the team has not been active in signing Major League free agents, they have signed some notable names to minor league deals. Jose Siri has played great defense and shown some occassional pop at the big league level. Nick Madrigal was once rated near the top of prospect lists. And former AL Comeback Player of the Year Trey Mancini gets a chance to continue his incredible story.

Beyond that, the Angels farm has some interesting players who might contribute to the big league team in the near future. Nelson Rada is the position player to watch as he's likely the center fielder of the future. George Klassen has the best stuff in the Angels pitching pipeline and ended last year at AAA. A little off the radar, Walbert Urena mastered a new pitch last year and took some major strides forward.

Also expect to see Christian Moore, Denzer Guzman, and Kyren Paris invited to camp. Paris spent the winter playing third base and learned how to take a walk; both interesting developments.

Player signings

The Angels will continue to add talent to the team. Even with a new TV deal it likely will not be top end talent (not that a ton is available) but with many positions to fill they can go bargain hunting. I like the idea of adding some dependable innings and infield depth. And there are far more middle relievers on the market than teams who desperately need middle relievers.

Generally speaking this is the time of year all teams look to add depth and it is fair to expect the Angels to do the same. With a little TV money they could potentially add a notable arm like Chris Bassitt or Zack Littell to stabilize the rotation.

As of now the Angels 2026 outlook is pretty bleak. But with a couple of solid additions to help the young core, the team could improve enough to perhaps challenge the A's for fourth place.