It’s been another confusing offseason for the Los Angeles Angels. There’s no doubt that they’ve been one of the more active teams in baseball this winter, but there are questions to ask about the moves themselves. After a decade of sub .500 baseball, this offseason hasn’t done enough to convince fans that the streak won’t end this year.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden has graded the Angels’ offseason as a ‘C+’ and predicts them to finish last in the American League West.

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The offseason kicked off with a big move for the Halos, trading away outfielder Taylor Ward and his 36 home runs to the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. It was a move that satisfied the need for starting pitching help, but the Angels have yet to fill out their outfield in a sufficient way after Ward’s departure.

Infielder Vaughn Grissom was also traded to Anaheim, with outfield prospect Isaiah Jackson heading to the Boston Red Sox in return. Then the Halos were a part of a three-team deal earlier this month, trading away 3.36 ERA left-handed reliever Brock Burke to land outfielder Josh Lowe. The Angels needed some outfield help, but Lowe has many questions of his own to answer.

They did bring in several bullpen arms, left-hander Drew Pomeranz, right-hander Jordan Romano, and right-hander Kirby Yates, to make up for departing relievers. In his first major league season since 2021, Pomeranz recorded a 2.17 ERA. The Halos are taking a risk and banking on another season of the same production from the 37-year-old.

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Third baseman Yoan Moncada re-signed with the Angels on a $4 million deal, answering the question of who will be the club’s everyday third baseman after Anthony Rendon officially will not play for the Angels in 2026. Rendon’s contract restructuring was perhaps the biggest news of the offseason for the Halos, freeing up tens of millions of dollars that they could use to sign key contributors in free agency.

It turned out to be too good to be true, however, as owner Arte Moreno and the Angels have yet to sign a player for over $5 million and longer than a single season. It’s been the recipe for the club over recent years – not to commit money over multiple years and instead bring in players that don’t move the needle as one-season rentals. That strategy hasn’t produced anything in Anaheim besides losing baseball, yet Moreno and the front office persist in their ways.

Instead of using their newfound money on real talent that can change the outlook for the team, the Angels have settled for another offseason of moves that don’t change things in the bigger picture. There may be several new faces and even a new manager, but the bigger picture has remained the same – another season at the bottom of the AL West is en route for Angels fans.