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Here are the Angels' 2025 rotation candidates

November 25th, 2024

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger's Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- The Angels made a big addition to their rotation early Monday, agreeing to terms with lefty Yusei Kikuchi on a three-year deal worth $63 million, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

The club hasn’t confirmed the deal yet, but it represents a big upgrade for the Halos, especially after they lost stalwarts Patrick Sandoval and Griffin Canning, who both grew up locally in Orange County and were mainstays in the rotation for most of the past six seasons.

But now they’re both no longer on the roster, as Sandoval was non-tendered on Friday and Canning was traded to the Braves early in the offseason for slugger Jorge Soler. The Angels could decide to bring back Sandoval on a new contract, but he’s now a free agent and can sign with any club. Sandoval, who was the club’s Opening Day starter in 2024, is coming off Tommy John surgery in late June and is expected to miss most of next season, so it’s likely he’ll be looking for a two-year deal.

Since debuting in 2019, Sandoval made 100 starts (107 appearances) with the Angels, posting a 4.01 ERA, while Canning also debuted in '19 and made 94 starts (99 appearances) with a 4.78 ERA. So it’ll be a bit of a new-look rotation for the Angels, who already signed fellow Orange County native Kyle Hendricks to a one-year deal and agreed to terms with Kikuchi.

Here’s a look at the club’s other starting candidates heading into 2025 after the addition of Kikuchi:

LHP
Anderson, 34, was the club’s best and most dependable starter in ’24, as he was an All-Star and posted a 3.81 ERA in a career-high 179 1/3 innings. He had a tough second half but is still the frontrunner to be the club’s Opening Day starter.

RHP
Moving Soriano from the bullpen to the rotation proved to be a great decision, as he excelled as a starter with a 3.42 ERA in 113 innings. The 26-year-old finished the year on the injured list, as he dealt with some fatigue after a big jump in workload. But he should be built up plenty for ’25.

RHP
Kochanowicz, 23, pitched his way into next year's rotation mix by impressing in August and September, as the rookie posted a 2.78 ERA over his final nine starts. He doesn’t strike many hitters out, but like Soriano, he has a power sinker that allows him to get quick outs via grounders.

RHP
Hendricks, who previously spent his entire 11-year career with the Cubs, was signed to join the back end of the rotation as a veteran presence. The 34-year-old had a 5.92 ERA in 130 2/3 innings last year but pitched better down the stretch with a 4.17 ERA over his last nine outings. He’s a low-cost addition and can mentor the younger pitchers.

LHP
Detmers, 25, has elite stuff but had a rough year in ’24 with a 6.70 ERA in 87 1/3 innings. He showed flashes of his potential, including a 2.12 ERA through his first five starts and striking out 10 against the Dodgers, but the lefty was inconsistent. He’ll compete for a rotation spot.

RHP
Silseth was a breakout candidate in ’24 but instead struggled early in the year before dealing with elbow issues that limited him to just eight innings in the Majors and 35 1/3 innings in the Minors. The 24-year-old still has potential but will have to prove he’s healthy and effective.

LHP Sam Aldegheri
The 23-year-old Aldegheri, acquired along with No. 3 prospect George Klassen in the deal that sent Carlos Estévez to the Phillies at the Trade Deadline, made his debut last year, posting a 4.85 ERA in three starts. The Verona, Italy, native is the club’s No. 8 prospect and like Klassen, he’s expected to impact the rotation at some point in ’25.

RHP
Dana, ranked as the club’s No. 1 prospect, reached the Majors at just 20 years old but had a 9.58 ERA in three September starts before the Angels shut him down. But he had a 2.52 ERA in 135 2/3 innings at Double-A Rocket City and should be a stalwart for years to come once he’s ready to rejoin the rotation.

LHP
Lost in the shuffle of Sandoval being non-tendered was Suarez, 26, being tendered a contract while arbitration-eligible for the third time. Suarez, who is out of options and had a 6.02 ERA in 52 1/3 innings in ’24, is most likely to be a long reliever but will be stretched out to give the Angels more options.

RHP
Daniel, 27, provides depth after making six starts for the Angels while posting a 6.23 ERA. He’s likely to start at Triple-A Salt Lake but is a candidate for spot starts.