Stephenson’s three-year, $33 million deal with the Angels gave the team some protection due to injury in the form of a $2.5 million option for 2028 if he missed a certain amount of time. However, the Angels decided against bringing him back even at that greatly reduced rate as he rehabs from April surgery to repair his UCL and flexor tendon. Stephenson, signed after a breakthrough stint with the Rays in 2023, pitched just 10 innings for the Angels, all of them in 2025.