While the Angels are in the process of having a much bigger offseason than the fan base and experts originally thought, there are 29 other teams trying to get better going into 2026 as well. And much to the delight of Angels fans, they officially get to say goodbye to an infielder that became the epitome of what the Angels stood for in 2025. 

For years, Arte Moreno and Perry Minasian have done just enough in the offseason to convince fans they are trying to build a competent team. Last offseason, that meant bringing in a few veteran infielders to guide Zach Neto and fill the holes across the dirt. Yoan Moncada worked out, but Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman, and Scott Kingery were all negative impact players for the Halos last season. 

Kingery, above the others, was a tough watch for fans. He posted an OPS+ of 11, making him the worst offensive player to make at least 25 plate appearances for the Angels last season. He did not contribute to any sort of winning in Anaheim, but he is on to his next destination. 

Former Angels’ infielder signs with Cubs for 2026

In 2019, Scott Kingery was a solid utility player for the Philadelphia Phillies, accumulating 2.7 WAR over the course of the season. Outside of that season, he has never had a season where he ranked anywhere close to an average hitter. On top of that, he did not register a big league at bat in 2023 or 2024. Nevertheless, the Angels gave him a chance last season to revive his career, and now the Chicago Cubs are for the 2026 campaign.

The Chicago Cubs, fresh off of a Willd Card appearance last season and seemingly about to lose Kyle Tucker in free agency, have signed Scott Kingery to a minor league deal for 2026. The contract includes an invite to Spring Training, meaning he will at least have a chance to stick with the team. This is the first move of the offseason for the Cubs, who will have to do a lot more than sign Kingery to keep up with the Milwuakee Brewers.

For Kingery, this likely represents his last chance to exist in the big leagues. The Cubs do not have an outrageous amount of infield depth, so if there is a team for Kingery to latch on to, it will be the Cubs. Hopefully the team and him perform well enough to avoid him posting a 36.00 ERA on the mound, like he did for the Angels during a relief appearance last season.