Jerry Dipoto has made “a final decision” to resign as the Angels GM, Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports on Twitter. That appeared to be where things were headed last night, though a report indicated that the club’s owner and president were attempting to convince Dipoto to stay on.
While not unexpected at this point, the overall situation is rather stunning. The Angels are facing some tough decisions over the next month as the team tries to keep up with the Astros in the AL West after opening play today four games back. All said, it’s rather an inopportune time to be making such significant changes in the front office. It remains to be seen how the team will fill the void left in Dipoto’s wake.
The base cause for the signing appears, by all accounts, to be an authority struggle between Dipoto and skipper Mike Scioscia. Prior differences seemed to have been resolved with ownership intervention, and the organization had already exercised Dipoto’s option for the 2016 campaign. But tensions re-emerged over the last several days, according to reports. Without rehashing all the information that has come out, suffice to say that Angels owner Arte Moreno was ultimately unable to maintain a workable allocation of power between the pair of key baseball men.
Dipoto took the GM seat for Los Angeles in the fall of 2011 after the firing of predecessor Tony Reagins. He oversaw major free agent acquisitions, including Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and C.J. Wilson, although those major outlays have often been connected to Moreno’s involvement.
More recently, Dipoto has looked to build the team’s pitching staff through the trade market. He shipped away starting second baseman Howie Kendrick to acquire young lefty Andrew Heaney this offseason after moving slugger Mark Trumbo to acquire Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago.
Dipoto also bolstered last year’s club with relievers Joe Smith (signed to a three-year pact) and Huston Street (added in a summer trade). Street ultimately agreed to an extension recently, with the team getting two more years of his services, plus an option year, for a seemingly reasonable $18MM commitment.
But the crowning achievement of Dipoto’s transactional history with the Halos is probably the Mike Trout extension. Having already established himself as the game’s very best player at just 22 years of age, Trout signed on to a six-year, $144.5MM deal. It’s a significant commitment, to be sure, but that money pales in comparison to the overall cash later promised by the Marlins to Giancarlo Stanton. Notably, Stanton was in a much different situation given his service time. But the Trout contract looks to be rather an incredible bargain, given that the club is committed only through his peak prime years with relatively little overall risk.
The Dipoto-constructed Angels had some disappointments along the way, missing the post-season in his first two seasons at the helm despite the major free agent signings. But the club put up 98 wins and an AL West title last year before running into the Royals buzzsaw in the playoffs.
Los Angeles has had its issues this year, with the team’s overall offensive production sagging despite big seasons from Trout and Pujols. Offseason acquisition Matt Joyce has simply not hit, and the club was backed into an awkward situation with Hamilton that ultimately saw him shipped to the Rangers for some salary savings.
Despite the turmoil, however, the club is as noted still very much in the thick of things heading into trade deadline season. As good as Houston has been, putting up an AL-leading 46 wins at the start of the day, the Angels have every opportunity to take another division crown. That’s especially true, perhaps, given that the club reportedly reserved payroll capacity to be deployed over the summer. Now, the question is not only how it will put those funds to use, but who’ll make that decision.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Well then……bye
“Fine! I’m taking my glove and going home then!”
Phillies or Orioles?
Ah the classic “You can’t fire me, I QUIT!”
Except for the part where they not only weren’t trying to fire him but were actively trying to get him to stay it’s exactly like that.
As an Angels fan, this ticks me off. Dipoto has been doing a very good job rebuilding the farm system while still fielding a competitive team. He hasn’t been perfect, but he’s done a great job as the halos GM. I would have went the other way if I was Arte. Scioscia is overrated IMO.
I think he did a pretty good job too, But he seems like someone that has little compromise in him. Remember this was his first go around as a full blown GM and as a young guy I wonder if he got a little too power hungry.
Possible. I think it’s more likely that he realized that Scioscia was so tight with Moreno that he answered to no one. When Scioscia started actively disregarding his methodologies, he saw that one of two things would happen: they’d lose games, and Arte would blame Dipoto for poor personnel, or they’d win games, and Arte would praise Scioscia as a genius. That’s a no-win situation. Better to get out now and save your sanity.
Thing I don’t get though is the main reason the Angels are hovering around 500 is lack of offense. Their defense and pitching has been solid for the most part. I can’t think of anything that would be in those advanced metrics that would fix that situation. If the Angels were losing lots of 1 or 2 run games I could understand but It seems to me they aren’t (I could be wrong I don’t know their record on 1 run games)
15 of their 37 losses have been by 1 or 2 runs.
Based on what I read, Scioscia outright refused to used the defensive positioning that the Front office provided, which is pretty standard in today’s game. Asking them to use the defensive shifts that they research is not the sign of a power hungry mad man.
Good luck finding a Dinosaur that will fit Mike Scioscia’s managing style. We have one here in AZ I would be glad to give you. I would love to have Dipoto back.
And even the idiotic “old school” front office here in AZ sees the benefits of defensive shifts so they would not even work with Mike Scioscia’s managing style.
As an Angels fan, I entirely disagree. Scioscia is the manager on the field and it’s inappropriate to go over his head to get to the players. That’s absolute terrible GM work and undermining any authority of a manager on the field. Arte went with the only correct choice here.
Let’s say that you worked for the management of XYZ Sales. You noticed that other sales companies were using new, state-of-the-art sales techniques and that their business was increasing. You investigated, went to seminars, talked to others, and decided that these sales techniques were the future and could really make your business grow. However, when you went to the head of the Sales Department, the veteran salesperson with 35 years experience doing it his way refused to even consider your information because you weren’t a salesman and couldn’t possibly know how to make and close sales. Wouldn’t it be in the company’s best interest to go around the fossil-in-charge and get this information directly into the hands of your sales force? This is what DiPoto tried to do, and you are killing him for it. I can’t understand any Angels fan who wants his team to be better than they are not supporting DiPoto over Scioscia in this.
“This is what DiPoto tried to do, and you are killing him for it.”
No—this is not what I’m “killing” Dipoto for. I’m “criticizing” his GM ability for not figuring out a way to work with the field managers like any other “state-of-the-art” newbie would attempt to do. I think he watched Moneyball one too many times. Not working with the field manager hasn’t gone real well for the Marlins, has it?
Few people who looked at the Marlins sabrmetrically thought they were going to be all that good. Simply too many holes, and so mentioning the Marlins is not much of a point. Look at the Pirates instead, they’re a well built team where the GM’s ideas are being carried by the manager, and the team believes in the philosophies.
Second, the GM is above the manager, not the other way around. Just the fact that Dipoto had to resign is a red flag. If there were some huge issues between him and Sciosia, then Sciosia should’ve been fired. Pretty sure Moreno is pulling some strings here, and because of this incident, the Angels are going to be hard pressed to get an actually skilled GM. Highly doubt a really skilled GM wants to come in and be a puppet.
The problem is that Arte continues to meddle in everything.
One of the major reasons Dipoto was brought in in the first place was to get the organization moving along in terms of using more advanced statistics in their decision making. He has a manager who, apparently refuses to use that information.
He can’t do the job he’s brought in to do when people ignore the information he provides. He isn’t allowed to bring in a staff of his choosing who will use that information. Despite being Scioscia’s boss, he clearly can’t fire him and any attempts to order him to comply obviously haven’t worked. He is in a completely no-win situation because the owner won’t allow him the authority to actually run the team.
No reason to stick around in that climate.
You seem not to understand an organizational chart, and apparently, neither do the Angels.
The GM is in charge of the players and the managers, and they answer to the GM, not the other way around. If the manager continually, and willfully, disregards the directives of the GM (which, by all reports, Scioscia did), then it’s insubordination, subject to termination. In the military, it would be known as failing to obey an officer, subject to court martial. It is not inappropriate for the GM to give instructions to a player, since he has authority over the player and the manager, but it is unusual, and is generally not recommended, since the GM’s priority and energy should be devoted to building and running the team, including the minor league organization.
If the GM cannot exercise the authority granted to him by the organization, then he has little choice but to resign.
I feel Dipotos time at the Angels was a mixed bag of good and bad but I think he came in young guy guns blazing thinking he was going to be the shit and right away pissed Scioscia off and they werent able to function after that. Hatchers firing was a complete scapegoat and I feel most knew that.
Chalk one up for Scioscialism.
If this is an original line, my hat’s off to you, sir.
Jeff, we really need that “like” button.
I miss racking up down votes as much as everyone else! Trust that the commenting changes were made to address real needs (e.g., making them app accessible), and that we are well aware of/share the desire to improve.
(How’s that for GM speak? I think I deserve a shot. Call me, Arte.)
Got it! Must trust your stats for AAC (app accessible comments) as opposed to PCC (personal computer comments). Sounds like a Dipito/Scioscia stand-off. 🙂
He must have come up with this commenting system too…
And this from the HeadlessHorseman—ironic.
So…. anyone know whether Dipoto gets along well with Andy MacPhail?
Not sure what qualifies DiPoto for another GM job.
Well, he did build a decent pitching farm for the Angels. He got Heaney and a couple of other pitchers with what he had to work with. Arte Moreno went over Dipoto head and signed terrible contracts in Pujols and Hamilton. Then had to deal with Scioscia and his coaches by not listening to him when it came to applying the sabermetrician data that he wanted his coaches to use. Overall, I’d say he could get another job where he can have more control.
I’d say he watched Moneyball one too many times.
Uh, Ok, he got Heaney. Where did that leave our offense? Besides Trout and Pujols our offense is pathetic. Trading away Kendrick and giving away Hamilton really worked out well for him.
Do you think he had anything to do with Hamilton. Both ends of that move had Moreno written all over it.
I’m only saying he gets an “incomplete” in my book, and its not really by his fault. In my mind not much has changed since prior to taking the job. He was obviously the peanuts butter in that jelly Moreno and Scioscia sandwich.
The main issue is that he had no real authority. Scioscia has no more right to insubordination as any other manager who’d one a world series 13 seasons ago. He’s basically the equivalent of Ozzie Guillen in baseball profile.
For starters, he isn’t RAJ.
“to be an authority struggle between Dipoto and skipper Mike Scioscia.”
That will happen when someone attempts to go over the head of a manager to their players. The better idea would have been to drop off the analytics in Scioscia’s office and let him sink or swim with them. It shows a little too much hubris and insecurity on the part of Dipoto.
As is briefly mentioned in a separate post – there is zero chance Scioscia sinks in the eyes of the Boss. Jerry is in a bit of a no-win spot with the current setup.
“there is zero chance Scioscia sinks in the eyes of the Boss.”
I agree and didn’t mean to indicate otherwise.
And when Scioscia turns around and ignores the analytics being dropped on his desk, then what? It was up to Dipoto to make the team a winner, even if Scioscia is a complete moron. If Scioscia refuses to follow his marching orders, then he should be pushed aside. It is entirely unacceptable for the field manager’s insubordination to lead to the GM resigning because he can’t fire the guy for refusing to do his job.
Based on the article, he did give them to Scioscia first and Miek flatly refused to use them, which resulted in him deciding to deliver them to the players directly.
Mike Scioscia and Arte Moreno are now free to run the team into the ground as much as they want. No more stats or anything. And defensive shifts are common in the game today, it is barely even sabermetrics at this point, except for the Angels.
That’s not entirely true. They’ve been using sabermetrics for awhile now. Do you actually watch any of the games. The issue seems to be getting the managers to develop the players with them. I personally think Dipoto and his team went through hours of excellent work developing the stats, when it came to time to use them you have managers and couches preoccupied with by doing their already busy jobs on the field and not disseminating the information to the players. Suddenly folks putting together the stats in the cubicles get offended when no one values what they’re doing on the field and down it spins.
No, DiPoto, you can’t leave yet. We still need you to trade Mike Trout for Leonys Martin, straight up.
Good riddance!!!!!!
Dipoto is now free to go back to the Dbacks! If only Stewart is out of the GM position…
What a shame. Dipoto has overall done a good job and had the ship headed in the right direction. Scioscia is obviously the problem. Too stuck in his old ways. Can we please get rid of him ASAP! We are just gonna have another frustrated GM if we don’t.
It is difficult to see many quality GMs lining up to take that job so long as Mike Scioscia continues to be given free reign to behave like he is the GM and the actual GM’s input does not matter.
Maybe they’ll fire Scioscia and hire Sandberg and his unprecedented minor league success
That would be Sandberg’s luck, going from one joke organization determined not to win, to a new joke organization. Although, the removal of Scioscia from the manager’s slot might take care of a lot of that, since then there wouldn’t be a guy in place second-guessing every move made by the GM.
If it were my team…I’d have had Scioscia in my office and removed from managerial duties. The dugout doesn’t run the philosophy of the team.
No way does Dipoto make this move without a Plan B. 20 bucks says he’s in a new gig by next season (if not sooner). I liked most of his moves (not all) and believe he was hamstrung by both the owner and manager.
Had lunch with Jerry just 3 weeks ago. Really sharp guy. Way too good for this train wreck of an organization. Hope to see him pop up somewhere with a better manager in place and an owner that leaves baseball operations alone. Just imagine how many great moves he’d have made if Arte didn’t force him to send all that money on those couple guys.
Also… it’s Matt Joyce guys. It didn’t work, who’d have seen that coming. Productive player for a couple years, comeso to CA and struggles for 3 months. So what, he’s just a platoon bat. It wasn’t like he signed Cano for $240MM.
Welp, good luck to whoever takes over the reigns, as they answer to their boss….Mike Scioscia
From what I’m reading it seems as if the conflict is strictly between Scioscia and Dipoto. But what about Moreno? It seems like his role in things has largely been silent.
Apparently, by reading a few of these post, Moreno is but a small pawn in Scioscia’s devious plan taking over the republic and creating an evil empire. Que the music.
Of the three former Mike Scioscia coaches who were managers at the beginning of the season, two have been fired – Bud Black and Ron Roenicke. Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs is the third. You have to imagine that when Black was fired by the Padres’ new GM AJ Preller and in light of previous tensions with Dipito, Sciosicia decided on full speed ahead to get rid of Dipito.
Don’t be surprised if Dipoto ends up in Philly
Exactly. The big question here is “why now?” And a logical answer is that Dipoto knows he’d be a leading candidate for the job when the Phillies fire Amaro in a week or so (his background is not just in analytics, but also in scouting, and the Phils need to restock their farm system by moving vets — that adds up to a pretty darn good fit for him), and he doesn’t want them to move on to someone else while he festers in the Angels job he doesn’t want anymore.
Amaro won’t be fired in a week or so sadly. I can see the phillies keeping him til years end, which is also sad. They can make an agreement with Dipoto to be a “Analytics” advisor until that day Amaro is fired, but the Phillies won’t fire Amaro before the trade deadline, I’d be stunned of they did. If Dipoto were brought on board in the next week or two, In any capacity, that tells me Amaro is gone gone gone
This move really just puzzles me. So does Arte Moreno. Hired by MacPhail to replace Amaro after the season? Seems like a great fit under MacPhail.
C’mon guys. This is simply about someone who made a decision to move on because he didn’t like the environment. It didn’t fit his style. Does it make his style right / wrong? No, but it is his style. What I do find rather sad is that these two individuals should have been more professional to figure this out together. On field operations is Scioscia’s responsibility. The GM provides him the tools (players and technology). One doesn’t give in to the other. One really doesn’t have control over the other, but the two must co-exist. Where is our leadership, President / Owner, to ensure that all the wheels are working together? That’s the real question…