Trimming the Dead Weight: The Angels' Toughest Non-Tender and Expiring Contract Decisions

In a previous piece we looked at players who definitely will not be with the Angels next season. Those players will be free agents at the end of the year. However, there are several Angels players who are eligible for arbitration but provide little value to the team. It is quite likely the Angels will choose to not tender them a contract which will make them free agents as well.

Once a player has reached three seasons of MLB service time, he is out of minor league options and able to negotiate a yearly salary with his employing club. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement they will head to an arbitration hearing that will determine his salary. However, if the club does not wish to retain that player they can simply choose to not offer him a contract.

The Arbitration Axe: Why Josh Lowe and Jose Siri Headline Non-Tender Candidates

Josh Lowe is an obvious non tender candidate. Heading into his second round of arbitration eligibility, Lowe is project to make $3.2 million while providing negative value on the field. From the outset the trade to acquire him was puzzling as he had an odd roster fit and the Angels dealt a quality reliever to acquire him.

But that mistake of a trade was made by Perry Minasian. The new regime has no obligation to pay $3.2 million for a defensive liability who posted a wRC+ of 76. That is simply a horrible deal for the club. Lowe's best value lies in the fact he has a minor league option remaining, not for what he brings to the Major League field.

With nearly identical service time, Jose Siri is also eligible for artibtration but he is projected to make a much more reasonable $2.3 million. Generally regarded as an excellent fielder, Sir saw his defensive ratings drop significantly in 2026 and his 31.9% strikeout rate created a major hole in the lineup when he played.

Keeping Siri as a fourth outfielder might be an option due to the Angels lack of organizational depth, but if the team wants to bring him back they can likely do so for less than $2.3 million as Spring Training nears.

Moving On Behind the Dish: The End of the Tyler Heineman Experiment

Tyler Heineman is a great receiver behind the plate. Unfortunately he is a liability at the plate. Another player with 4 years of MLB service time, Heineman is projected to make a very modest (by MLB standards) $1.5 million and should be credited with helping the Angels rotation improve dramatically down the stretch.

However, with a wRC+ of 25 and his 35th birthday behind him Heineman is a player the Angels should be able to replace and upgrade this off season. If they somehow miss out on the backup catcher market, the likeable backstop should be available on a minor league deal in the new year.

A Clean Slate at the Top: Letting Kurt Suzuki’s Managerial Pact Expire

Really, the Angels do not need to make a decision on manager Kurt Suzuki's contract. It expires at the end of the season and the team can simply move on. But in that way, not making a decision is a decision in itself.

There is no rush for the Angels to decide on Kurt Suzuki or any field manager. Getting a front office and minor league coordinator are much larger priorities. But ultimately the Angels will need to decide who leads the team on the field night after night next season.

Kurt Suzuki is well liked in the building and pushed for the pitching changes and data analytics that helped the team down the stretch. But he is also inexperienced, helmed the team's only 100 loss season, and a hire of the former regime.

Most likely the Angels make a decision on Suzuki by simply not making a decision. They will let his contract expire, speak highly of him, then conduct a new managerial search once a decision maker is annointed by new owner Stan Kroenke.

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