Los Angeles

Angels

That lowers his ERA in five AFL starts to 10.43. Robinson, a 2024 11th-round pick, was traded twice this year, going from the A’s to the Pirates for Alika Williams in May and then on to the Angels for Kirby Yates at the deadline. He’ll likely open next year in the rotation at Double-A Rocket City.

Nimmala is the Angels’ top prospect and the 87th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He came over to the team from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline as part of a trade for Jose Soriano. The 21-year-old is fourth in the AFL in hits and is hitting .301/.446/.507 in 18 games with two triples, two home runs, 13 RBI, four steals, and a 17/21 K/BB ratio.

Mozeliak said he’s expecting Major League Baseball owners to vote on the transfer from Arte Moreno to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment sometime during the MLB owners meeting in New York the week of November 16th. KSE announced a deal to purchase the Angels in September, and there was a belief the transition would happen at the beginning of 2027. That process is being sped up, which is good for the Angels because the team has decided to hold off on hiring a general manager and a manager until ownership changes hands. This means the Angels would be able to potentially rush and hire somebody before the lockout likely begins on December 1st.

Pujols is currently in the fourth year of a 10-year contract he signed to be a consultant for the Angels; however, the 11-time All-Star and three-time MVP has made it clear since his retirement in 2022 that he wants to manage. Pujols managed Team Dominican Republic to a third-place finish during this year’s World Baseball Classic and also has managerial experience in Dominican winter ball. He interviewed for the San Diego Padres and Angels managerial openings last winter, and expressed an interest in this Mets job this June when Carlos Mendoza was let go. Pujols will be interviewed in Houston by a former Cardinals teammate after Randy Flores was hired as the team’s general manager this week. Texas Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta will also interview for the job this weekend.

The 27-year-old southpaw is now safe from being plucked in the Rule 5 draft. Pinazzi had a breakout 2026 season where he registered a scintillating 0.84 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and a 103/33 K/BB ratio over 64 innings across four minor league levels. He should get an opportunity to pitch out of the Angels’ bullpen at some point in 2027.

After a really nice finish for Double-A Rocket City, Nimmala has hit .300/.447/.533 with two homers and four steals in four tries in the Arizona Fall League. He’s yet to play anywhere other than shortstop in the minors, but that will probably change early next year if the Angels hold on to Zach Neto.

Rivero had one of the most out-of-nowhere performances of the decade in June, going 5-for-5 with six RBI against the Dodgers. As it turned out, it was his next-to-last major league game of the year, as he suffered a broken hamate bone two days later, and the Angels didn’t have a spot for him once he was ready to return. He and Peralta both figure to become free agents in search of minor league deals.

So, the new GM will get his own choice of manager following the dismissal of Kurt Suzuki. Mozeliak will apparently be stepping aside when a new GM is in place. The former Cardinals GM was hired in June after Perry Minasian was let go, signing a contract for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Suzuki was given one season at the helm for the Angels, a season in which they fired essentially their entire pitching department midway through the year, and he will not be given another chance. The former catcher went 62-100 while leading a team that likely never had much of a chance to be competitive. He has apparently been offered a position with the organization as a special assistant, and the Angels will now look for another person to captain a ship that has been lost at sea for over a decade.

Kikuchi allowed three earned runs or fewer in five of his seven starts after returning from the injured list in late August. He posted a strong 3.20 ERA across 19 2/3 innings in five September outings. The 35-year-old southpaw missed most of the year with shoulder inflammation, finishing with an inflated 4.92 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 67/30 K/BB ratio across 67 2/3 innings over 14 starts.