Fanmail Friday #7 - Will the Angels cut Rendon?
Mar 7, 2025 - Written by Jacob Firmage
Photo Credit : @MLBTradeRumors - X
It's that time of the week again. Every Friday, fans have the ability to interact with us directly. A member of the Inside Halos team answers a set of questions submitted by our followers via Instagram or the Q&A Google Form and this weeks questions all came from our Instagram page, @insidehalos. Make sure you mark your calendars and submit your questions for us to be answered every Friday right here on InsideHalos.com!
Q: Will the Angels cut Rendon? (@lukeffranklin)
A: No… at least not yet. At this point he is on the 60-day injured list, not occupying a roster spot and it doesn’t do the Angels much to cut him. Even if you only are able to recoup a few million dollars, the Angels are better off working quietly behind the scenes with Boras on some arrangement of a buyout should Rendon want to step away from the game. If he wants to continue playing, or you cannot reach an agreement, perhaps you let him come to spring training in 2026 and inevitably look to release him early in 2026 should he remain injured or ineffective.
Q: Trade Anderson and Rengifo before opening day? (@coolbrad124)
A: I believe the chances of either being moved before the end of July is a near zero chance. Perhaps the Marlins decide to actually add some salary to avoid a grievance and they take a flyer on Anderson. The Angels also haven’t seen the greatest performances from Silseth or Dana. Right now, keeping Anderson allows for either Kochanowicz or Detmers to remain a strong 6 th option and push others down an additional spot on the depth chart. As for Rengifo, his struggles to stay on the field and Angels need for infield depth put that on hold as well. He seems like a lock to be flipped at deadline once he gets some consistent time on the field. He seems to be one that would have been traded to an infield needy team last year if he had stayed healthy.
Q’s: Idk what his contract is but Hans Crouse Extension? (@littleblvck325) & Extend with Taylor Ward? (@coolbrad124)
A: Crouse pitched well last year after coming aboard, but the Angels have, if they kept him around through arbitration, 5 seasons of control. While a useful arm in the middle relief role he needs a full season like last year to have a spot that feels locked in. In fact I think he is pitching for a spot in the bullpen still this spring. As for Ward, he is a useful player on good teams. He makes the Angels a bit better right now. In the long run though, he is very streaky and had some serious struggles against RHP in 2024. I think the best bet is him being traded by the start of the 2026 season. Pairing these two questions together, I do think there are a few players Angels could look to extend within the next few years. Obvious candidates in Zach Neto and Logan O’Hoppe make sense long term, filling two of the hardest positions to cement when rebuilding a roster. Some harder to picture in the current time are Schanuel, Dana, and perhaps even Rengifo should they see him as a longer term fit than this season. They have gone to arbitration hearings the last two seasons with Rengifo, so that may be the longest shot.
Q: What prospect would you have in the big leagues (@ggonzalez_82)
A: Going to make this question a plural as I think there are a few players on the farm that should be on the opening day roster. All three are position players and Christian Moore is not one of them. First up is Nelson Rada. I think both Adell and Moniak provide value and experience but over the course of an entire year I’m not sure it would be more than Rada. His power is not where you want it to be, and perhaps in the longterm he becomes a 4th outfielder. On the other hand, as it stands right now, his defense is Major League ready, he has a strong eye at the plate and can run the bases extremely well. Next up are two bench options. Matthew Lugo and Kyren Paris. Lugo has a bat that seems ready for the next test but no true defensive home. Rotating him around some infield spots and the corner outfield spots, he could see 3-5 games a week long as his bat is adequate. As for Paris, his changes in approach and swing have lead to what look to be real changes. Always an incredible athlete, with Neto out for Opening Day and Rengifo struggling with some missing some time early in spring, his versatility up the middle should be enough to get him a chance on the Opening Day roster.
Q: A lot to like about Chrstian Moore, when’s too early to bring him up? (@tonygonzo277)
A: There was a lot of love for Christian Moore in the questions this week. From him not getting enough starts, wondering if he starts opening day amongst others so let’s try to hit all the main points here. There is a lot to like about Moore, and he is a very big part of this teams future and this team hopefully being in the playoffs sooner than later. But too early to bring him up to me is Opening Day. I think with him not on the 40-Man roster and other guys playing well too, you don’t need to force him. Moncada is going to get some leash at 3B. Rengifo will get majority of time at 2B if healthy. Moore is not a shortstop and when healthy Neto is there. The best option for the Angels is to put him in Rocket City, let him get everyday reps and have him force his way onto this roster. Give him till May down there and see where Moncada is at. If Rengifo can’t stay healthy and some of the guys ahead are struggling you let him loose. I think he hasn’t started as much as some may have liked for couple reasons. One, we are still pretty early in spring and lot of guys are still left in camp. Two, they know what he is and are getting him his reps while getting real clear looks at guys like JD Davis, Tim Anderson, Kyren Paris etc… Simply put Moore is going to be around for a long time. The Angels don’t HAVE to push him any faster. Let him continue to develop and hone in his consistency on defense for a little while.
Q: How do you feel about Mike Trout entering this season? (@alexx_curtiss)
A: I feel the same as I do every year with Mike Trout. Please stay healthy. Trout finally made the move off of centerfield that he should have made some time ago. He is a fine centerfielder but his value comes from the bat. While most his injuries are flukes, there is no reason for him to be the guy in center racing to track down everything and put further strain on his body. I hope to everything we get one healthy season of him. Just to enjoy it one last time. If he’s healthy, I don’t think a top-5 MVP finish is out of question. He says he believes he identified some issues in his swing, and I believe him. Trout has always identified what he wants to improve and has. His bat while still much better than most has seen a dip, but I attribute that and some of his inability to correct on health. If the Angels want any path towards playoffs, it starts with the health of 27.
Q: Vlad Guerrero or Hunter for manager next season (@tonygar_951)
A: Hunter will always have a special place in most Angels fans hearts and has expressed a desire to manage. Trout obviously would support this type of move, but I think he is a bit lower on the list should this be Washingtons final season at the helm. As for Vlad, we can dream on Vlad Jr coming to his Dad’s old team. Bringing back the glory days in Anaheim he watched as a child. I don’t think I have seen any indication of Vlad Sr. wanting to manage at this point. As for 2026, I think I’d put my list in order for potential managers as Ron Washington, Ray Montgomery, Ryan Goins, Bo Porter and then Torii Hunter.
Q: If you were the Angels GM what are you doing right now? (@_._drew._._)
A: If I were Perry I’d be getting a good look at some of the young guys versus some of the veteran NRIs in camp. Outside of that we can go back to some of the earlier questions for my plans. Looking to agree to some sort of a buyout with Rendon would be amongst my top priorities. Not necessarily needed right now, but getting some of that money removed allows for potential room to add should this team find a way to be in the mix at the deadline. Negotiating longterm deals with Neto and O’Hoppe. It may not happen this year, but over the next few years, there is no reason to allow either of them to sniff free agency.
Q’s: In how long do you think it’s gonna take for this team to contend? (@michaelroblesss) & Angels line up, underrated? What % do you think we have a chance in making the playoffs? (@randlek87)
A: I think it varies on what they are contending for. Making the playoffs, I believe they start getting closer in 2026. They have improved quite a bit, and I have that wishful hope that they make an incredible one year turn around, but I think this year you have to get closer to .500 and then go improve the roster further next offseason. 2027 is the year this team makes the playoffs next in my opinion. I do think the Angels roster as a whole is underrated. I base that off of my belief in the young players though. The lineup is going to be the opposite. It is the veterans. What can you get from Moncada, Trout, Rengifo and Soler. Is Ward more consistent. The Angels always have a roster where if you squint you see what they are hoping for. If it clicks, this is an underrated team that could be a little more than a late season spoiler. As for a percentage heading into 2025, let’s put it at 7% and revisit that come the end of April.
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! Thanks and see you next Friday for more!
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