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Angels general manager Perry Minasian speaks during a press conference at Angel Stadium on Oct. 22. William Liang-Imagn Images

Perry Minasian's Contract Status Will Influence Angels' Offseason Plans

Originally posted on Los Angeles Angels on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Nov 14, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Whenever a team looks to attract free-agent talent, it's common for a player to weigh his own long-term future against that of the organization.

To that end, the chips are stacked against the Angels this winter. Not only are they riding the longest postseason drought in Major League Baseball — 11 years and counting — they have a manager and general manager whose contracts expire after the 2026 season.

When Kurt Suzuki was introduced as the team's new manager on Oct. 21, he signed a one-year contract — a rarity for a major league manager.

“It’s a one-year deal, so he's tied in with me,” general manager Perry Minasian said. “But for us, in sports, in general, everybody's on a one-year deal. That's just the way professional sports is."

In a league where new managers typically receive a three-year contract, Suzuki's one-year term garnered the most attention.

Now that the focus has shifted to the Angels' offseason roster-building plans, Minasian's one-year term deserves its own spotlight.

In his latest appearance on the Baseball Insiders, speaking from the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Robert Murray of FanSided said, “I don’t think it’s impossible (the Angels) spend big. I think it’s more likely that they spend in moderation, try to upgrade their roster where they can get to the point of being a playoff team, which is why I don’t think they move guys like Taylor Ward and Jo Adell or anyone quite like that.”

Murray was also careful to note how Minasian's contract status will affect his decision-making in the coming weeks and months.

"This is also a crucial year for Perry," Murray said. "I feel like you’ve got to make the postseason here. That’s also an element that has to be factored in as well."

The Angels' year-end 40-man roster payroll has never ranked higher than seventh, or lower than 12th, during their postseason drought. Only the standings reflect a decade-long rebuild from which the Angels have yet to emerge.

Owner Arte Moreno is loathe to push the team into the first competitive balance tax threshold. (Taxes kick in at $244 million next season, leaving Minasian up to $50 million or so of spending room on his 2026 roster.) Whatever chips Moreno allows his GM to play, this would be the year for Minasian to push all of them in.

It's also foolish to suggest the Angels will be able to spend their way out of the massive hole they've dug. Signing Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Michael King or Zac Gallen might improve a rotation that has lagged behind its peers for years. Angels starters ranked 27th in MLB in earned-run average last year, after ranking 28th in 2024. It would also represent a short-term fix.

Absent a pitching development pipeline that consistently replenishes the team's major league rotation, the future is bleak. Last year only one homegrown pitcher (Jose Soriano) made more than five starts for the Angels and produced a positive WAR.

To that end, the Angels' hire of Mike Maddux as their pitching coach might prove more important than any contract they issue between now and Opening Day. Just don't expect Minasian to accept that sitting down.