Los Angeles Angels Make Two Free Agent Signings

January 27, 2026 , , ,
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Nick Sandlin pitches during 2025 game.

The Los Angeles Angels are taking a smart, low risk swing at depth, adding veteran bat Trey Mancini and reliever Nick Sandlin on minor league deals that should come with major league spring invites. 

Mancini gets a reunion with new Angels hitting coach Brady Anderson, a long time mentor he has credited for helping reshape his swing.

Angels bring in Trey Mancini for a spring training push

Mancini, 33, has not appeared in the majors since 2023, but he reminded teams last season that the bat still has life, hitting .308/.373/.522 with 16 homers in 74 Triple A games for Reno. 

He was once a middle of the order fixture for the Baltimore Orioles, topping out at 35 homers in 2019, then authored one of baseball’s best comeback stories after returning from treatment to win American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 and finishing as the Home Run Derby runner up that summer. 

Mancini also owns a World Series ring from his 2022 stint with the Houston Astros, and he’ll try to turn this into a real shot at Anaheim at a time when at bats can open up fast.

Nick Sandlin gives the Angels another dice roll in the bullpen

Sandlin, 28, is a different kind of bet: a reliever with a track record of getting big league outs when healthy. 

He spent most of 2025 on the shelf, but still posted a 2.20 ERA in 19 appearances for the Toronto Blue Jays, and his career line sits at a 3.19 ERA across 228 games and 211.2 innings. 

He originally broke in with the Cleveland Guardians before landing in Toronto as part of the offseason deal that also brought Andres Gimenez to the Blue Jays, and now the Angels are essentially buying a spring audition to see if Sandlin’s command and swing and miss play back in a healthier season. 

Photo Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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