The Los Angeles Angels haven’t made the postseason since 2014.
That’s while having some of the most impressive players in the league in recent memory, such as Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, and others.
Now, Pujols is retired, Rendon is injured and disgruntled, and Ohtani is a free agent.
Trout, who finished the 2023 season on the injured list, too, will be tasked with leading a different roster for the next few years.
He will have some veteran assistance, in the form of new manager Ron Washington.
That’s right: after recently interviewing for the job, the Angels decided to make the former Texas Rangers manager their new skipper according to MLB insider Jeff Passan.
“The Los Angeles Angels are hiring Ron Washington as their new manager, sources tell ESPN. Washington, the former manager of the Texas Rangers and beloved longtime coach now with Atlanta, gets another shot with the Angels. @JonHeyman was on it,” he tweeted.
The Los Angeles Angels are hiring Ron Washington as their new manager, sources tell ESPN.
Washington, the former manager of the Texas Rangers and beloved longtime coach now with Atlanta, gets another shot with the Angels. @JonHeyman was on it.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 8, 2023
Washington, who took the Rangers to two straight World Series in 2010 and 2011 (losing both), will get a new crack at managing an MLB team after spending the last seven seasons as a coach for the Atlanta Braves.
At 71, he is a true baseball lifer, having played, coached, and managed in the majors for a long time.
Depending on what Ohtani decides to do, Washington could have a contending team (in theory) or a messy roster ready to enter a deep rebuild.
Offseason dynamics and the Angels’ own actions will dictate that, but he will give the team a veteran voice that players respect.
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