Former All-Star Pitcher Named 'Perfect Fit' For Angels In Free Agency

The Los Angeles Angels are yearning for a playoff berth after missing the mark for 11 consecutive seasons.

Star outfielder Mike Trout was in his prime and not dealing with a degenerative back disease that limits him to being the designated hitter and Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in the league for another four years.

So much has happened since the Angels last made the postseason, so it’s time for ownership to get the team back on track with a good offseason.

There are holes pretty much everywhere on the roster, but the biggest problem with Los Angeles is pitching. From top to bottom, this pitching staff struggled to the 28th worst ERA in Major League Baseball.

The Angels have already made a trade to improve the pitching staff and outfield defense but made their offense worse. Los Angeles traded left fielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez earlier this month.

Ward hit 36 home runs for the Angels and drove in 103 runs with a .792 OPS in 157 games, but the 31-year-old struggles defensively. This move allows Los Angeles to add a better defender in left field, one who is younger than the veteran Ward.

Rodriguez, the promising 26-year-old starter, missed all of 2025 and hasn’t pitched since July 2024 due to several injuries. However, Rodriguez has ace potential and showed it before he got hurt. Rodriguez went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 20 starts with a 3.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He is on track to be ready for Spring Training, but the Angels can’t stop there. There are plenty of free agent pitchers available, but MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand believes former All-Star Zac Gallen would be a perfect fit for the Halos.

“The Angels’ eternal search for starting pitching continues this winter, and while they aren’t expected to be major players for the top four or five arms available, the idea of bringing in a former ace looking to re-establish himself could be appealing,” Feinsand wrote Sunday. “[Zac] Gallen had a career-high 4.83 ERA last season, but he threw 192 innings for Arizona, and he’s averaged more than 180 frames per season since the start of 2022 -- a mark no Angels pitcher has reached since Andrew Heaney in 2018.”

The Angels need guys who can eat innings successfully, and Gallen is looking to get back on track after a lackluster 2025. His durability will be a key selling point and should get the Angels on board with at least offering the right-hander.