An expected decision surrounding the Los Angeles Angels manager position is approaching final stages, as the team previously noted they’d like to have their lead man shortly following the World Series.
General manager Perry Minasian is rumored to not have the final word on the club’s next skipper, with owner Arte Moreno being the last line before anything official. Several candidates have floated around, with Buck Showalter tossing his name in the running early on in the search.
He’s previously had experience guiding a team that’s in a bit of a state of flux with his time as the Baltimore Orioles manager. Going from the high-profile New York Mets to the Angels would be quite the shift, and with the Cleveland Guardians announcing their new hire on Monday, the market for managers is heating up.
The latest news on Showalter is that he’s progressed to a final group of candidates, with the Angels continuing to consider all options.
Sources: Buck Showalter has spoken with the Angels regarding their managerial vacancy and is among several finalists for the position. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 5, 2023
Showalter is a 22-year managerial veteran, guiding the Mets to a 75-87 record in 2023. A sentiment around the team is they could be looking for a seasoned voice within the clubhouse to lead their young roster.
His experience and tenure does have its upside, of course, but the Angels need to look for more than just years in the league, and look for who will maximize their roster during uncertain times.
Torii Hunter and Tim Salmon among options for Angels manager
Along with Showalter, Darin Erstad is among those considered by the team.
Erstad would be an interesting choice as he is one of the Angels’ all-time greats and most recently served as the head coach of the University of Nebraska baseball team from 2011-2019.
In addition to Erstand, former Angels Torii Hunter and Tim Salmon have emerged. Hunter made a name for himself with the Minnesota Twins but joined the Angels for the second half of his career and put up big numbers.
Salmon spent his entire 14-year career with the Angels and won unanimous American League Rookie of the League honors in 1993, while also being part of the 2002 World Series championship team.
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