The Los Angeles Angels currently have 16 players on the injured list, the most in Major League Baseball. However, the reoccurring theme hasn’t stopped manager Phil Nevin from doing his job the best he can, given the unexpected bumps that have come in his year-plus at the helm.
Coming out of the All-Star break with a difficult plan of action from the front office down was clouded by the looming decision of whether to buy or to sell. They’ve since gone full steam ahead after a run of solid play in the past week.
Aside from Shohei Ohtani and his unreal play, Nevin deserves a lot of credit for how this team has continued to ride its own rollercoaster. Now that they’re four games over .500, a huge milestone for Nevin was checked off on the first leg of their road trip, per Sarah Valenzuela of the L.A. Times:
After three wins over the Tigers, the Angels manager — who was named interim manager, his first MLB managerial role, in June 2022 after Joe Maddon was fired, then signed on a one-year deal to manage this year’s team — got his 100th career win. It was the players who came up with the idea to do the surprise celebration for Nevin, who at first was hesitant, then embraced it.
A make-or-break season is where the Angels planted their flag, going all-in on veterans in the offseason, even calling up their young prospects to fill in the gaps. Nevin took over the reigns at a difficult point, during a franchise-record losing streak in 2022, and provided them with a steady enough voice to earn another shot.
When the Angels secured his milestone win as a manager, Nevin joined his team to take in the achievement postgame:
“I had no idea [they were planning it],” Nevin said Friday of the celebration in Detroit. “There’s probably the argument that [getting 100 wins] should have happened sooner. One hundred wins, it’s, there was times in my life that maybe I didn’t think I’d get one to be honest with you. So that’s cool. But we’re focused on today. They had a nice moment for me in the clubhouse after the game, which was neat for me to be around the players like that. I’m more looking towards … building a lot more of those.”
Showing a ton of respect for his players has earned their praise, and the trickle down has allowed them to buy into his way of managing. Nevin’s 100th career win with the Angels puts him as 14th all-time in franchise history, owning a 100-110 record in his 210 total games.
Angels showing commitment to winning
The Angels made the first big splash of the trade deadline by acquiring a pair of right-handers, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López from the Chicago White Sox.
Having to part with prospects Edgar Quero and Ky Bush will hurt the farm system, but it was a necessary move given the state of the team and their commitment to winning this year.
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