Fanmail Friday #15 (On a Saturday) - Rinse & Repeat
October 4, 2025 - Written by Jesus Barrera
Photo Credit: @OptaSTATS - X
Welcome to the first Fanmail Friday (on a Saturday) of the 2025-2026 offseason! If you’re new around here, Fanmail Friday is a series that takes place most Fridays, fans can interact with us directly and a member of the InsideHalos team answers your submitted questions from Instagram. We have plenty to discuss this week as the offseason has just begun and the Angels are seeking a new manager to replace Ron Washington. This week Jesus Barrera will be answering questions submitted by you guys.
Q- What’s the point of having a GM if the owner is the one making the manager hire? (@steve_the_dream) Do you think that as long as Arte is around this team will go anywhere? (@caden_cantor)
A- I completely understand where you’re coming from. This has been the GM/Manager carousel that Arte has led ever since Jerry Dipoto resigned due to a rift with then Manager Mike Scioscia in 2015. “Sosh” then stepped down in 2018. There are obvious constraints that come with the position, but Billy Eppler & Perry Minasian have been extremely underwhelming baseball executives. Dipoto was the GM when the Angels last made the playoffs in 2014. He became GM of the Seattle Mariners in 2015 and was named President of Baseball Ops in 2021. Seattle returned to the playoffs in 2022 and won the AL West in 2025. Although he has worked with a budget, Dipoto has put together competitive teams who flex strong pitching staffs, and a great farm system to supplement their ML roster or to execute trades. Eppler hired his guy in Brad Ausmus, Ausmus was fired and Joe Maddon was brought in. When Perry Minasian became the GM, he fired Maddon midseason in 2022. Phil Nevin, Ron Washington, and Ray Montgomery have all managed the ball clubs he’s assembled. It seems like the Minasian’s word carries very little weight now.
It's safe to say that the most important positions within the Angels franchise have been very volatile. There really is no recipe for success due to the constant turnover that Moreno has overseen. The state of the franchise reflects his volatile and impulsive leadership. I really hope a sale comes through within these next couple years. The Angels are in desperate need of a quality owner or ownership group that hires capable people, allocates resources towards the scouting and development of their young players, and makes wise investments through free agency. Dipoto got away, but Eppler and Minasian have been flat out bad. Their last winning season was in 2015 and they set a franchise record with 99 losses in 2024. Moreno has also spearheaded bad free agent contract decisions that have hampered the team's budget. Resources have also been cut from scouting and development. New leaders are desperately needed in Anaheim.
Q- How should we feel about the young talent on this team? Feels like no one really excelled (@calvin.buetow)
A- The only player who really excelled this season was Zach Neto. Neto is a perennial 25 HR / 25 SB threat. He was also snubbed from the All Star Game. Reid Detmers performed well in the bullpen and will return to the rotation in 2026. Logan O’Hoppe is about as streaky as they get and his bad defense might get him moved away from the catching position. Schanuel missed some time, but he is what he is. He’s an average first hitting 1B. 1B is a position where you look to sacrifice some average and need some slug along with run production. Jose Soriano has front of the rotation stuff, but at times struggled and had outings get out of hand. Everyone was hoping for him to establish himself, but he’s yet to do that. All in all it's an ok group. We’re gonna need more than that in Anaheim.
Q- Who do you think will manage the Angels next season? (@chuyingrecords)
A- The rumor mill seems to be circling heavily around Torii Hunter & Albert Pujols, with Pujols being the favorite. Pujols is the most Arte pick ever given the figure that he is in the MLB and with the 10 year deal he signed in 2011, he also signed up for 10 years of service to the team. Pujols has remained on the Angels payroll even after the unceremonious DFA by current GM Perry Minasian. A 1st ballot Hall of Famer as your manager will definitely put some folks in the seats at the Big A, Arte loves that. Pujols has managerial experience, he led the Leones del Escogido to the Caribbean Series championship early this year. He will also be in charge of leading the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. If he gets hired to manage the Angels or another team, he would more than likely have to withdraw from the international event. If Pujols is the eventual choice, I have a hard time seeing him working with Minasian cohesively. He might only take the job because Minasian is in a lame duck year.
The best way to do things is to hire your GM and you let him get his guy. I’m not opposed to Pujols being the skipper, but it is an unorthodox way of doing things. Pujols is Arte’s guy, not Minasian’s guy. However this is the norm for Arte’s Angels and the results have been pitiful. There is also 0 reason to keep Minasian around for 2026, his stint has been dreadful.
Q- 3B & CF choice? (@coolbrad124)
A- I mean Anthony Rendon is going to be around isn’t he.. Kidding. Rendon is unreliable, disinterested, and always hurt. His contract is atrocious, you can’t say it enough and thankfully this is his last year under contract. Moncada did a decent job when he was on the field, but injuries held him to 84 games in 2025. I really don’t see the Angels spending significant cash for 3B. I believe the Angels will let Oswald Peraza go in order to see if he can turn into something for 2026 and the future.
Bryce Teodosio is someone who arrived at the major league level and announced himself with authority on the defensive side of things. The dude can go get it with the very best in the league. Teodosio’s real value is purely on defense and on the basepaths. The strikeout is a huge part of his game and this limits what he brings to the table once he’s on base. Teodosio struck out 47 times in 50 games played in 2025. There has to be significant improvement at the plate for CF to be truly his for 2026 and beyond. Right now, Teodosio is a true late inning pinch runner - defensive replacement that would warrant 1-2 starts a week.
A realistic option for the 2026 season is Trent Grisham. Grisham is coming off his best season yet after his second year in the Yankee pinstripes. If Harrison Bader becomes a free agent, he is also a real option. Another Yankee that will presumably hit the open market is Cody Bellinger. Bellinger is a solid defender that offers some flexibility as he can also play LF and 1B. Bellinger would be a great addition, but the Angels would more than likely find themselves priced out in terms of years and money. Grisham or Bader are far more likely.
Q- What do you think our pitching staff will look like next year? (@christopher_sardi) What free agents we should go after? (_izzy.112) Who should be our bullpen targets? (@andrewinz_)
A- The pitching staff like many other areas of the roster needs help from outside the ballclub. Tyler Anderson will become a free agent and Kyle Hendricks will seemingly retire. New faces are due to show up for the Halos starting staff. Barring any injuries, you can pencil in Yusei Kukuchi, Jose Soriano, and Reid Detmers into starting spots . I also believe Caden Dana will have a real shot at breaking camp as a starter next season. If Arte were to pony up some cash this offseason it should be for the front of the rotation. Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez both fit that bill, but they will also command a significant contract. A solid veteran option that won’t break the bank is Tomoyuki Sugano. Dustin May is a high upside bet that you can potentially reel in on a 1 year deal with an option to hold down a spot in the back of the rotation. There’s plenty of choices, but it all points to Arte Moreno and his willingness to spend.
Future Hall of Famer Kenley Jansen had a solid 2025 campaign donning the Angel uniform. He has verbally stated how much he liked his time in Anaheim and how much he desires to stick around to be a part of a winning ball club here. A reunion with Jansen should be one of the priorities this offseason. I firmly expect the Angels to fill their closer role on the open market. Other veteran options with closing experience are old friend Raisel Iglesias and Pierce Johnson. The rest of the bullpen will probably be made up of in house options or waiver claim deals. Robert Stephenson and Brock Burke are locks for the bullpen in 2026. Jose Fermin, Sam Bachman, Chase Silseth, and Ryan Zeferjahn could easily be a part of the reliever group right out of spring. Ben Joyce pretty much missed all of 2025 due to injury and a return date for 2026 has not been given. There’s no doubt the Angels have to get creative to address their bullpen.
Thank you all so much for those who participated this week, if we didn’t get to your question or if you have any questions you want to submit to InsideHalos.com, please click the button to submit your questions for next weeks Fanmail Friday! I also want to personally thank Jesus for all the hard work he has put in this season, this is his final article with InsideHalos, so thank you Jesus for all the hard work he has put in this season and we wish you nothing but the best in your future endeavors, you will always be apart of the InsideHalos family!
Thanks and see you next Friday for more!
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