Setting aside his fill-in work with the Angels earlier in his career, Joe Maddon has managed 14 campaigns in the majors. His club has cracked at least 90 wins in nine of those seasons and reached the postseason eight times. Whatever one thinks about the influence of a manager on the win-loss column, Maddon has undeniably piloted many a high-flying aircraft.
Maddon oversaw two lean years with the Rays before leaping from 66 wins to 97 and helping to shape the team into a perennial contender. He was brought in somewhat later in the process with the Cubs. In Chicago, he was tasked with vaulting a club brimming with young talent — but coming off of five-straight fifth-place finishes — into a new stratosphere. In his first year, Maddon flipped a 73-89 record into 97-65.
There are similarities and differences in his new gig. Maddon’s marching orders are essentially the same: replicate those 31-win (Rays) and 24-win (Cubs) bounces with the Halos. It’ll take something nearly as dramatic to get the L.A. organization back into the postseason for the first time since 2014. The club limped to a 72-90 record in 2019 and has turned in four consecutive losing campaigns. In a stratified American League, it might take 95 or more wins to make the playoffs.
That’s not to say it’s deja vu all over again. Maddon’s new Halos team is already led by established superstars, including the game’s greatest player in Mike Trout, its most fascinating talent in Shohei Ohtani (who’ll be back on the bump in 2020), peerless defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons, and slugger Justin Upton. The L.A. organization figures to have some funds to work with this winter and has one of the game’s truly elite prospects (Jo Adell) waiting in the wings. To be sure, there are needs — all over the pitching staff and behind the dish, in particular — but there are also resources to work with and quite a lot of talent already in place.
There’ll also be expectations. Maddon is no stranger to those after five years in Chicago. But his charges fell shy in 2018 and especially 2019, the lone year in which the Maddon-led Cubs fell shy of the playoffs. Halos owner Arte Moreno is surely short on patience given what he has invested in this club. GM Billy Eppler is roster-managing for his job without a contract beyond 2020. And the clock is ticking on Trout’s twenties.
Obviously this question involves considerations that go well beyond Maddon’s managerial acumen. But his hiring begins a consequential epoch for an organization that has endured disappointment as well as recent tragedy. Maddon will be a high-profile franchise face. He’ll start out with a three-year deal at a $12MM price tag — a significant commitment, but not quite the five-year, $25MM pact that drew him to Chicago.
So … how do you think it’ll turn out? (Poll link for app users.)
The Angels have the hitters, but not the pitching. Maddon’s name alone is one of the ways to get those guys. Get the pitching and then we can start talking about a deep playoff run.
“Maddon’s name alone is enough to get those guys.” Haha.
What will get those guys is being almost $100m under the tax line. They can get two of the top 5-6 pitchers if they are willing.
Bingo
I don’t think they won’t be $100m under the tax line. Last I checked they would be around $125-130m in contracts not including arbitration players, with the tax line around $208-210m.
I do agree that have enough room to sign Cole and a tier 2 SP.
That is the question. Will Arte allow Eppler to go get Cole and either Wheeler or Bumgarner. That is a $50 plus million per season decision.
I don’t think it’s 50 million a year, but its close enough to be an issue.
I think the Angels will sign one of the lower tier pitchers early. Then they’ll play it by ear. If Cole signs early… which I doubt, there is a good chance it will be with the Angels. But I don’t think Cole will sign until February and Arte will spend a lot of money before Feb rolls around.
I don’t have a crystal ball, but if the opportunity presents itself, he wont mind gong a little over the threshold.
Basically have to at this point
Yet if say they have hitters but they will complain about lack of offense.
They are a dumpster fire. They should have traded trout for a Kings ransom years ago
What major league super star has ever been traded for a “Kings” ransom?
Hershcel Walker to MIN……any team would let another team would choose any prospects for Trout
Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens to name a few.
I had no idea that Walker played baseball.
I can think of three, maybe four such trades. Carew, A-Rod, Miggy and perhaps Yellich.
What “Kings’ Ransom” was obtained?
No need to trade Trout (no trade clause anyway) for a King’s ransom. Just sign 2 SP (tier 1 and tier 2), a decent C and maybe a utility player.
C free agent
1B Pujols/Thaiss
2B Fletcher/LaStella
SS Simmons
3B LaStella/Thaiss/Fletcher
OF Upton/Goodwin
OF Trout
OF Goodwin/Adell
DH Ohtani/Pujols/Thaiss
SP1 Cole
SP2 tier 2 free agent
SP3 Ohtani
SP4 Heaney
SP5 Canning
RP Ramirez, Buttrey, Bedrosian, Middleton, 1-2 other spring training standouts.
CL Robles
Randy Johnson had months to go on his contract. And Clemens was done until he started taken PEDs.
I don’t put them in the same category as Trout. As I said, I can only think of 3 or 4 and very little was obtained after that.
You might be able to include Griffey Jr. But that only furthers my point.
15th in runs scored, 18th in HR, 18th in BA, 14th in OBP, 20th in SLG. They sure have the hitters! The Angels have no offense other than Trout, no SP, and no BP….
15th in Runs Scored? Cool. It’s better than I thought.
Ohtani 106 games, Trout 134, Upton 63, Simmons 103. Adell added. Not to mention no Angel starting pitcher had 20 starts or pitched 100 innings.
Nobody in their right mind could base predictions based on last years numbers. Hey, if the Angels are a M.A.S.H. (Mobil Angel Surgical Hospital) like last year, they’ll be in trouble.
Last years numbers are not relevant. .
You’re right they’re not. All they had this season was “what ifs”
That’s fair. The team hasn’t been healthy for four seasons. I’ve never seen anything like it. Why would that change now?
A team full of “What Ifs” is more than fair. But that “what if” is pretty much entirely based on health.
It’s gotten to the point I can’t make any kind of prediction on this team. If the team is relatively healthy, it will do well, if not, it wont. I don’t know how anyone can go any further than that.
That was with Upton missing most of the season; LaStella and his newfound power stroke missing half the season; Ohtani missing the first 2 months of the season; and Trout missing the last month of the season. So yeah, they have the hitters. They probably have the most bench depth I’ve seen on an Angels team in 10 years.
“Maddon’s name alone” brings to mind the players poll The Athletic has done the last two years.
Each year the players were asked “other than your own manager who would you like to play for?” The #1 answer each year was Maddon. Ironically when asked “other than your own who is the manager you would least like to play for?” The # 2 answer (behind Gabe Kapler) was Maddon. I guess being a manager can be a doubled-edged sword..
In case you are wondering some other questions were – Most overrated player…Harper – Ban the shift…. No – Adopt a universal DH….. No – Best defensive player….Arenado – and Chicago was the best city to visit.
This all depends on 1.) pitching and 2.) health. They have those, they do well. But we’ve been waiting on that for, what, 5 years now? GM might need to be turned over soon if it doesn’t straighten itself out.
3- the possible fallout from the Skaggs wrongful death investigation. No way to know any of that until the investigation is over.
Do you think there is anyone on the Yankees, or in baseball, that has not had a non-prescribed Vicodin (pain killer)? I don’t. .
A drug addict provided Skaggs illegal drugs. I highly doubt anyone in a position of power on the Angels knew anything about it.. Plus Skaggs took fentanyl and alcohol. That’s all on Skaggs. No way did anyone in a position of power know about that.
I’m not trolling the Angels. No need bring up the Yankees on this. Most likely they do have some that do abuse pain killers.
My point is that there is a very public investigation and possibly law suit to follow.
Until it all plays out there is no way to tell what will become of it.
I never thought you were. The Yankees were your team so I chose an example close to home. Players taking pain killers are common.
Unless people in power with the Angels supplied the fentanyl, which I consider very very unlikely, I don’t see an lawsuit going anywhere.
Skaggs is responsible for the fentanyl. Skaggs is responsible for the drinking. That’s going to be tough to put at the feet of the Angels.
There is supposed knowledge from Angels employees, or at least ex employees and other players taking the pills.
It wouldn’t surprise me either way regardless of any outcome.
We are not talking about a high level employee. I’m assuming you have a job. If someone at your job got you drugs, would your employer be on the hook?
Not to mention. That drug that killed him isn’t connected to the Angels. The fentanyl and alcohol killed him.
Where did he get the fentanyl? We’ll see how it plays. As far as something that affects the Angels, I doubt that will happen.
Skaggs was an adult who decided to use drugs and died from the result of making poor decisions. How is that anyone’s fault but his own? Skaggs was clearly bribing the guy who got the drugs by offering to pay for all of them if the other guy went and hooked them up. This culture of zero personal responsibility and drop of the hat litigation needs to stop. Junkies die from using drugs. This isn’t a new phenomenon.
I don’t see how the Marlins got in trouble for Fernandez’s actions.
Were talking about Fentanyl and Alcohol. That’s all on Skaggs. .
I’ve been yearning to type that on here since it happened but I know how easily some people get offended but I completely 100% agree with you. This is a personal issue not an organizational issue…
I agree that it’s his own fault but it isn’t up to me to make those decisions.
I’m with you. While I’m sure pain pills are common in MLB, the Angels have a very public incident playing out. MLB will have to levy some kind of punishment most likely.
What is critical is the lawsuit with Skaggs family. A huge settlement will impact the business finances.
I’m not sure how there will be a huge settlement when the guy took fentanyl and alcohol.
There has to be a lot of dots connected and I’d be shocked if those dots connect.
Theres a great a article in the Atlantic about the legal risks to MLB and the Angels. The msot interseting part is that due to the airtight CBA, the Angels will likely be able to deflect and the Skaggs would have to go after MLB.
You can expect a settlement and it will not affect the Angels payroll.
he’ll do well for what he’s given, but unless they can get a passable medical staff, that starting staff will never be healthy.
So so if roster stays the same
Win it all if they grab cole Strasburg and ryu
Rendon castellanos.
Players win ball games.
Ryu is a one year wonder. Who will be looking at around 200 million in a contract. I would rather add Keuchel on like a three year deal. Or Bumgarner for a lot less money. Rendon will be looking for 200 plus million as well. Moustakas would make more sense. Like on a three to four year deal for around 12 million per season. Strasburg will have to opt out of his contract first. I believe he will, but that’s no guarantee. If Canning can build off a good rookie season and Sandoval can learn better command of his secondary pitches, that will help a long way.
Jesus that payroll would be insane. Taking a nuke to the luxury cap
Lol I mean most teams would improve if they added every single top free agent… Money isn’t infinite.
Lol you think they could sign all those players ??
What fantasy land do you live in
No I don’t that’s what I think it will take for him/Angels to be successful. Those players would make a manager “look good” . Current roster he will end up so so
If I’m Angels GM this is my shopping list.
Cole $32-34m/yr for 6-7 years.
Tier2 SP $15-23m/yr for 3-4 years
Upgrade C
Super Utility
1 RP
I would structure deals to stay under the lux tax for 2020/2021. After 2021 Pujols $30m contract is off the books.
I think you should be Epplers liaison. I don’t think a super utility is needed as Fletcher proved he can be that guy.
How much pitching can they possibly get they don’t have that much more money to spend, and they’ll just spend it on one guy either Cole or strasburg, just how mareno likes to do it, but even with madden and one of those guys it won’t change the angels from a 90 loss team to a 90 win team
The Angels need an ace and they need to stay healthy.
And a full season of Upton, Ohtani, Heaney, Canning, Trout and Simmons as well as adding Adell and a #1 Starter can get the Angels near or at 90 wins.
What people often forget is a 90 win team today is not the same as a 90 win team ten years ago. There are a lot of easy wins out there.
Maddon and Lester, in part, changed the Cubs from a 73 win team to a 97 win in their first season
They have had payroll at 160-165m the last few seasons, the luxury tax is $208.
They can structure deals to make it work. Look at the Corbin deal with the Nats, 6/$140 but only $12.5m for 2019. Angels could do similar but not as extreme backloading the deals or offer more signing bonus.
If the Angels pick up Calhoun’s option and do NOT non-tender anyone, payroll will sit around mid-$190-mil. Unless Arte is willing to spend beyond the luxury tax I don’t see this team making a big splash or anywhere close to Houston in the standings. Maddon may be a nice hire for the Angels but he settled for a very tough situation with too players who are high priced (Trout excluded).
They are not going to pick up Calhoun. They are not going to tender all their players. So I’m not sure what point you are trying to make.
Is your point they don’t have enough to sign a front line pitcher? You’re wrong. .
Moreno has gone over the salary cap once before, and since Pujols and Simons contracts are back loaded, he likely doesn’t have to do it this year to be able to afford a front line pitcher.
Mac – Do you read? Or is it difficult to see beyond whatever hatred or teen angst you are dealing with. Let’s go over this again. This is for you.
“If the Angels pick up Calhoun’s option and do NOT non-tender anyone, payroll will sit around mid-$190-mil.”
– Jury is out on the Calhoun option. I wouldn’t pick it up if it were me. Angels, however, like to throw money away. It’s a common practice.
“Unless Arte is willing to spend beyond the luxury tax I don’t see this team making a big splash or anywhere close to Houston in the standings.”
– That’s a given. Angels don’t have the bats or pitching to hang with the Astros. Moreno has yet to announce he will spend over the tax.
“Maddon may be a nice hire for the Angels but he settled for a very tough situation with too players who are high priced (Trout excluded).”
– At around $195-million, Gerrit Cole could be signed so long as he settles for a small salary in 2020 followed by a massive raise the next 5-7.
So, Macstrut, what’s the point? The point is they COULD sign a Cole by waving goodbye to Calhoun. They COULD backload the contract. They COULD improve as a team. They are going nowhere. Arte has gone over the cap before? Ok, he better spend about $240-250 to be a real contender. Until then, check the numbers before you come back with your silly comments. Two days in a row you write without thinking. Let’s make a third tomorrow.
I’ll be nicer to you than you were to me. It’s clear you don’t understand how the luxury taxes work. You’re making a common mistake. The AAV of contracts are linked to the luxury tax, not the current salary.
It doesn’t matter what Cole or anyone else is making in 2020.
And he jury is not out. Calhoun is not going to be tendered. Every player is not going to be offered arbitration. The Angels have plenty of room for Cole.
But you got one thing correct. Few teams have enough to hang with the Astros. The Angels are not one of those teams, with or without Cole.
You need to learn more about how payroll works.
Calhoun as much as I like him as a player is gone. Bour, Garcia and Tropeano will get non tendered. Simmons will most likely be traded. The Angels can put Fletcher at short stop. Jewel and Bard will probably get released.
Simmons is not going to be traded.
Simmons is a free agent after next season. Trade him for pitching now. Instead of waiting and getting nothing for him.
Trade him to whom for pitching? It’s one year. It has to be a contender that can give up pitching.
Who is that team and who is that pitcher?
It’s not going to happen.
Why would Jewell and Bard get released ?
Depends on how they try to fit high profile pitching
why would they pick up kole’s option?
I don’t think the Angels front office compares well with the FOs of the Rays or Cubs when Maddon took over those teams.
Joe Maddon reaches 1500 wins during year 3 of current contract.
I dont think he will do well. It’s going to take longer to be playoff bound than expected.
As an A’s fan I’d actually welcome the Angels competing. We need Texas, Anaheim & Seattle taking games off the Astro’s instead of turning up for tea and biscuits. (Which is admittedly a bit English)
They (the Angels) will have promised Maddon & the FO money to use in FA pitching market. Else he wouldn’t be going there. With the greatest respect to Joe Maddon he has – like all of us – both a personal and managerial life expectancy.
I look forward to it – he and the Angles have to be in win now mode for all manner of fish related reasons….
There is a wild card team in the World Series this year. It’s not like the Angels have to catch the Astros.
wild card teams do very well in the playoffs.
I don’t comment here too often, but watching this team lately, I felt the need to chime in. Let’s assume Strasburg opts out. Kole Calhoun, gone. Break the bank and go get Cole and Strasburg. Rendon would be awesome as well and add a serviceable catcher. And by serviceable, I don’t mean Stassi. In a perfect world, that would easily spell playoffs. Granted they’d have to back up the brinks truck, but they’d be perennial contenders and Trout’s best years wouldn’t be wasted.
i don’t think rendon is needed. and cole and strassburg? it will be cole and the next level down.
I voted “very well… no crown in the first 3 seasons, but Joe will have a long run in LA”
When a team has Trout and Ohtani, with Adell on the rise, it’s tough to see them going in the tank. They need more pitching though to win a World Series. Adding one good starter might get them in playoff range, but they probably need two additions there to have a shot at a World Series.
Maddon gets so tired of Arte’s crud that he walks off into the Pacific Ocean and is never seen again. By the end of May, 2020.
you wouldn’t be able to see any of it because you will be sucked up by a twister and dropped on a hungry gator.
What do you mean Arte’s crud? Arte is so bad that Trout was extended twice and Ohtani chose to player here.
This is just a thought, but how about an Upton-for-Kluber deal? The Indians need an outfielder and the Angels need a solid pitcher. Neither player is in their prime, but they can definitely contribute to their new clubs.
Upton for Price would be more realistic. If the Indians do trade Kluber, it will be for prospects or major league players with 3 or 4 years of team control left. Upton would not give the Indians the salary relief they would be looking for.
Agreed. If Kluber does truly become available, the Braves and Padres both crush an offer of Upton for Kluber. The Angels probably don’t even get a courtesy call back. Plus it’s not a great fit on the Indians side financially.
If they believed in one of the Boston pitchers, that seems as if something that could benefit both sides.
Done all day. 3 years of Upton for 1 of Kluber.
Bad deal for Cleveland but I like the original thought.
The poll question should be, “How will the cubs do now that Joe’s gone?”
They will win more than 84 games next year.
Unless they have one helluva offseason, I don’t see 84+ win team. The bullpen is terrible, and the starting rotation will continue to age. Bad offense without Castellanos’ second half hitting too.
How the Skaggs investigation effects this organization, and how will it impact league wide. Still so much to come.
I like the Angels in the near future. Not this coming year, but after 2020. With Trout and Ohtani controlled and Pujols coming off the books in the near future, they should be able to jostle some stuff around and add the pieces they need to make a run.
The Mariners are in the middle of a complete rebuild, the Athletics are surprising performers, but lack the payroll to add vital components to really push for a run and the Astros are in a tough position with their aces aging or headed to free agency.
The AL Central is a total joke because of tightwad ownership on the White Sox, Twins and Indians, and Detroit and Kansas City being utter disasters right now.
The AL East sees Boston with major issues and Tampa is going to continue to struggle to make all the pieces work. Toronto certainly isn’t there yet, Baltimore is catastrophe.
I think the Astros may be beatable in the next couple years as I don’t expect them to retain Cole and, eventually, Verlander has to age, right? Certainly the future Wild Cards look to be potentially pretty easy pickings.
Bottom line, the Angels aren’t likely to play in a really tough division and there are limited elite teams to compete against for Wild Card positions. With some elite talent already, I think the Angels could definitely make a run.
“The Athletics are surprising performers”?
This is to anyone but an A’s fan. Even with Profar at 2B I’d still argue we’ve got the best defensive infield in the MLB and that translates offensively with Chapman, Semien & Olson.
If it was old school play-offs and not this one-off silliness I honestly think we’d have beaten the Astros in a best of five (we won 6/8 of the last two series we played them) – really – given five post season appearances in eight years are “we” really that much of a surprise?!
The struggling Tampa you refer to – and the team we lost to – got how close to seeing the Astros off the premises?
Agree – completely – with what you say about the AL central – check the Twins record against teams above 500. But the A’s were ONE game lower than the Astros.. If you think “the Angels aren’t likely to play in really a tough division” I honestly think you are wrong.
Please flame away – I agree with much – but clearly not all of what you said.
Biscuits anybody?
It’s not that any given year the Athletics being pretty good. It’s that the Athletics are almost always pretty good. Tampa is always struggling to make pieces fit on a budget arguably even tighter than Oakland and to compete in a much tougher division than the AL West. They’re basically a more successful version of the A’s.
The Athletics beating the Astros in a 5 game series could technically happen, but the Astros were a much better team. Your chances were far better in a one game playoff, IMHO.
The playoffs are not the same as regular season. The 5th starter never pitches, and sometimes you don’t see the 4th starter. The dynamics change a lot which is why a team with a mediocre pitching rotation can make it, but struggle to advance (ex. Minnesota Twins)
“we won 6/8 of the last two series we played them”
I love it when people say “we”. These teams are our teams. I expected the As to be more like the 2017 A’s than the 2018 A’s. I still don’t know what to think of them, they manage to pull pitching out of their ears.
Defensively, the A’s corner infielders are the best in baseball. Defensively, if the Angels play Fletcher at second, the Angels middle infielders are the best in baseball.
No doubt that defense helps pitching.
I guess everybody has their pet peeves, but I have no issue with the “we” statement. Teams don’t exist without their fans and many fans have paid money directly into franchises in the form of ticket or concession revenue or at least indirectly through television packages or increased taxes for public financing etc. I take “we” as a part of a community, not a statement saying a fan was out on the diamond snaring line drives.
When you have made a financial investment into the team, you can say “we”.
Many years ago Buzzie Bavasi said I could use the word “we”.. Not did he say I could say it, he was glad I said “we”.
Until someone of that stature corrects me, I’ll say we.
Verlander will NEVER age. He’s a modern marvel, and he’s married to Kate Upton. The man will be doing this when he’s 67, and winning Cy Youngs.
Not to be a jerk, but he did age. Back in 2014-2015, it looked like he might be washed up. He found the fountain of youth.
As long as the FO leaves him be, he’ll succeed. Padres lost out but there probably wasn’t a chance to begin with.
I loved the line about Joe Maddon becoming the face of the Angels. That weather-beaten mug? He’s a very good manager, but still-young, fresh-scrubbed Mike Trout is the face of the Angels and possibly of all of MLB!
I anticipate Arte spending some money this year and the starting pitching class is very deep. The market should help us out.
I think one big name pitcher and one mid tier guy get signed. Need to pick the right two and get a little lucky on health. One pitcher comes via trade.
A good catcher to help out the entire staff can’t be understated. Martin Maldonado wouldn’t surprise me.
Maldonado would be a great add…he knows how to work with Cole…among other things.
2 yrs to late. I’d go for Romine
I’d go none of the above.
I think he’ll do fairly well, but that might only mean 1 playoff appearance in 3 years. Let’s say they lose the one ALCS they make in 3 years, I’d call that a success for a team burdened with Pujols.
I’m guessing he makes the playoffs once and finishes his 3 years with a .500 record. And I would say that would be a decent success.
I don’t think Pujols is a burden anymore. He’ll play 120 games. He’s not holding anyone back. He’s not going to stop Ohtani from DHing and it’s over in two years.
The salary isn’t going to kill them. .
The salary doesn’t kill them? Sure, in a vacuum, Pujols doesn’t “kill” them, but you’d be a fool to believe $29M a year wouldn’t go a LONG ways towards adding 5-6 wins and the Angels are at their payroll ceiling so that is talent the Angels can’t afford right now.
I’m saying it’s easier to work around Pujols salary and the 24 million AAV today than it was two years ago.
I wish the Angels had that extra 29 million (or 24 AAV) to play with, but its gotten to the point where they can add a player and not be crushed by the luxury tax penalties.
Moreno can go over the luxury tax this year, or next year and should be able to get below the tax in 2022. Which would only result in a small penalty.
If a team goes over the luxury tax for four years, the penalty is huge.
i said so-so unless they really get serious this off season and get any combo of Cole/Keuchel/Wheeler/Stras. Astros are still stacked even with losing Cole so its not like they are going to fall from first to worst in a season. Plus, the A’s are always a tough team and seem to be improving each season.
I think Maddon may bring WS appearance to the Angels but not likely in 2020.
I still don’t understand why the Cubs fired him. Yes, they had a disappointing season, but still a great record in one of the best divisions and only 1/2 of the teams in baseball make the playoffs. And now Gabe Kapler, another guy who got fired but without the success, is in the mix for their new manager. I know there’s more at play than that but it just puzzles me.
His contract was up and he would have had to take a pay cut from $6 million.
Theo’s contract is up in two years and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is only allowed to sign someone for two years.
This season was all about “urgency” and they started bad, rebounded, and then went through a cycle of dominating at home and losing badly on the road before collapsing against the Brewers and Cardinals in September.
Those are three speculations for you.
Those are all reasonable, but just looking at MLBTRs manager search tracker the candidates are pretty underwhelming. Girardi could be good I suppose, but he seems like he could be pretty out of touch with today’s game.
My guess is Espada will get the job.
This will be Eppler’s final judgement of dissolution if the Angels don’t sign quality starters and a defensive catcher. He’s done a great job with the farm system and lucked out with La Stella and Goodwin, but if Eppler can’t convince Moreno to go after Cole and at least sign Bumgarner, Ordorizzi, Roak, Wood, etc., he’s gone and the Angels will than have to take drastic measures to probably rebuild at that point.
I had a difficult time choosing any of these poll options because Joe Maddon will be 66 in February. I believe the Angels will improve in the next three years because the firing of Brad Ausmus and Arte Moreno’s signing of Maddon indicates that the owner will be all-in to supplement his club with dollars going forward. There will also be plenty of pressure on Billy Eppler this offseason in identifying the free agents that Moreno should sign along with trades and other forms of roster building he would need to undertake as his own GM contract is set to expire next year.
I was closest to clicking off on: “Very well … no crown in the first 3 years, but Joe will have a long run in LA” but I don’t see a “long run” left in Maddon who will be approaching 70 when his contract runs out. Perhaps Joe or the Angels will work on an additional extension for a couple of season prior to that expiration but there is no way that Maddon approaches a run anywhere near the kind that Mike Scioscia had from 2000-2018.
Btw: I might have also chosen to eliminate the LA reference and just gone with the Angels or Anaheim since we all know that the team does not play in Los Angeles despite what their official designation might suggest even if it was Moreno’s idea in the first place. It might be akin to having a poll question regarding Maddon’s former Rays team and phrasing it a long run in Tampa Bay which would be difficult unless Aquaman was the manager.
This all depends on their GM getting the talent around trout and acquiring pitching.
They have failed to do so far. So im still concerned