John Mozeliak aims to reshape Halos before Trade Deadline
John Mozeliak is assessing the Los Angeles Angels roster ahead of the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, saying the club must stay open-minded as sellers while weighing returns for controllable talent. The interim GM, hired after Perry Minasian's dismissal, wants to rebuild a perennial winner without abandoning next season.
Key Takeaways
- John Mozeliak, hired in late June, is focused on the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline as the Angels prepare to sell.
- Right-hander José Soriano and lefty Reid Detmers are the club's top chips and are under control through 2028.
- Jon Heyman reports the Angels are expected to make Detmers and Soriano available.
- Mozeliak says owner Arte Moreno is trusting him to get deals right amid an MLB-worst 39-61 start.
- He has not decided whether he will stay past December, when his contract expires.
What is John Mozeliak trying to do before the Trade Deadline?
Speaking before Monday's series opener against St. Louis, Mozeliak said understanding the market is his top priority. The Angels are not having the year they hoped for and will be sellers, but how aggressive they become remains open.
"We are going to have to be very open-minded," he told reporters, per MLB.com. He stressed that the Deadline and the offseason are moments when a club can get better, and that he needs to know what other teams will give up.
The Orange County Register reported he has only been able to dig into trade talks in the week since the draft ended, after less than a month on the job. Over the next two weeks, he said, market research is "100%" the focus.
Will the Angels trade Reid Detmers and José Soriano?
Those two starters are widely viewed as Anaheim's biggest assets. Both are under team control through 2028, so they are not typical Deadline rentals and could fetch a significant prospect package.
According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, as reported by NBC Sports, the Angels are expected to make Detmers and Soriano available. Mozeliak declined to name players but said change is required and that failing to stay open-minded would be a failure on his part.
He also noted the club is still valuing players under control beyond this season. It is considered a seller's market with few teams out of contention, yet Anaheim does not appear to want a full rebuild. "If we can find a way to do both" — improve now and protect next year — "that would be awesome," he said.
Can John Mozeliak turn the Halos around soon?
Asked whether the Angels can contend in 2027, Mozeliak called it a "challenging task" and said he does not yet know. Anaheim entered Monday at 39-61, worst in MLB, and has not reached the postseason since 2014.
The former Cardinals executive, who spent 30 years in St. Louis including 18 as GM, sees parallels with that club when he first arrived: an organization trying to become a perennial winner again. He argued scouting and player development must drive the rebuild and said the farm system is stronger than public perception but still not top 10.
Hired by club president Molly Jolly with owner Arte Moreno's approval, Mozeliak said he feels he has authority to make necessary moves. Whether he remains beyond December is undecided. For more MLB front-office buzz, follow BlasterPost's Celebrity Breaking News coverage.