With TV Deal in Place the Angels Should Reunite With an Old Friend (Or Two)

Arte Moreno said payroll could increase with a TV deal and there is talent the Angels need.

Sep 17, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (54) pitches against the Athletics during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Effective payroll for the Angels is at its lowest point in years. Once you factor in the deferment of Anthony Rendon's salary over the next five years, the Angels cash outlay this year is roughly $80 million lower than in years past.

Owner Arte Moreno was quite frank in is session with the media when he stated payroll was being impacted by the lack of a local TV deal. That issue has been solved via the Angels buying the other half of FanDuel Sports West and operating it themselves.

With obvious needs in the rotation and presumably some money to spend, the Angels could give the team an much needed boost by bringing back a starting pitcher who once donned Angels red. In fact they could probably sign a couple of old friends and still have a lower payroll than the team has carried in recent years.

2.1 WAR, 145 Innings Pitched, ERA+ 120, Age 30

Those are the 2025 statistics for a starting pitcher who is still available as a free agent. He's not injured. In fact he missed the 2024 season due to injury and spent the 2025 season managing his workload to stay healthy.

Prior to his lost season, this pitcher averaged 174.1 innings pitched and 2.1 bWAR per season from 2021 through 2023. Reliable if not spectacular, he gave his team 31 starts per year on a consistent basis.

Given the Angels lack of a fifth starter and the fact both Reid Detmers and Grayson Rodriguez figure to be on innings limits, the Angels have a dire need to bring in reliable innings. And they have the opportunity to do so now.

Lucas Giolito crashed and burned pretty hard when the Angels acquired him in a foolish and desperate attempt to get Shohei Ohtani to the playoffs. But that trade occurred just months before Giolito was then lost for the following year. Now fully healthy, he could be a rotation stalwart for a team that lost 300 reliable innings when Tyler Anderson and Kyle Hendricks departed the team.

Heading into the off season, most publications estimated a 2-3 year deal for Giolotio in the $17 million to $20 million range annually. In short, he could be had for about 60% of the money the Angels are saving on Rendon and give the team a viable rotation piece to pair with Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano for the next two years.

Tyler Anderson is also still available.

Aug 29, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Anderson (31) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Anderson has not been connected to any team this off season. The silence surrounding his market is surprising. But he apparently prefers Southern California, is in need of a job, and just posted a 2 bWAR season across 136.1 innings for the Angels last season. Bringing him back could stabilize the back of the rotation and the Angels should consider it.an

With the Angels losing the aforementioned 300 innings, it would not be a bad idea to bring both of these pitchers into camp. At this point they would miss the first 2 to 3 weeks of the regular season as they get back up to full strength.

Neither will push the Angels anywhere near the record payrolls of the Ohtani playoff push era. But both would go a long ways towards having an effective rotation.