The fallout from the firing of former Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon has been like peeling back layers of an onion, but as more information comes out, general manager Perry Minasian maintains that the two had a stellar relationship.
After Maddon was fired Angels in early June amidst what became a franchise-record losing streak, the team named Phil Nevin the interim manager. Nevin has since been signed to a one-year deal for next season, but for Maddon, the manner in which he was let go has since left a sour taste in his mouth.
Minasian said the decision wasn’t an easy one by any means, and Maddon’s stance is that the Angels just ‘needed more time’ to figure it out, but that extra time didn’t come. Since then, he’s distanced himself from the team but has been recently vocal about the disconnects between him and the front office that led to the breakup.
Maddon opened up about how Minasian heavily influenced how he managed his team and in many respects, it interfered with his job. Minasian responded to those claims, but was mum on the topic given that it’s in the past, via Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register:
“I’m not going to get into details,” Minasian said with a smile. “I enjoyed working with Joe. I felt like we had a really good relationship. He’s trying to sell books. I get it. I’m not going to go into anything further than that. … I wish nothing but the best for Joe. I hope he’s on the New York Times bestseller list.”
The rest of the season did not end the way anyone surrounding the organization would have hoped, but they have more of a sense of direction after a series of moves and inking Nevin and Shohei Ohtani to a one-year contract for the 2023 season.
Minasian’s quick trigger on Maddon’s job felt like a reactionary move in a terrible stretch, but the news of his influence on player availability proves there was much more behind the scenes than originally reported.
Mike Trout trusts Perry Minasian to build winning roster
With the playoffs underway, the Angels are in a familiar spot, missing the postseason with both Mike Trout and Ohtani. But after a flurry of changes, the Angels have a different sense of optimism heading into next year.
Since June 30, the Angels are 36-48 and finished the regular season at 79-89, their seventh consecutive losing season. With Trout, the Angels have only made the playoffs one time, a clear failure given his consistent elite production.
The Angels must find a way to figure out how to build a roster around Ohtani and Trout heading into 2023 as the frustration continues to bury the duo’s immense ceiling.
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