The Angels are going to have a new skipper next year. Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that neither manager Ron Washington nor interim manager Ray Montgomery will return as manager in 2026.
The Halos hired Washington as their skipper ahead of the 2024 season, a two-year deal with a club option for 2026. After a 63-99 showing last year, he began 2025 back in that job. In June, it was reported that he had to step away from the club indefinitely due to an unspecified health concern, with Montgomery moving from his bench coach role to take over as interim manager. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Washington would stay on leave for the remainder of the season.
In August, Washington revealed that he had undergone a quadruple bypass to remove blockages from his heart valves. He said the health scare prompted him to quit smoking and make other lifestyle improvements. He also said he expected to be fully cleared medically in December and hoped to be back in the dugout next year.
It seems the Angels have other plans, however, and will be making a change. The club didn’t perform especially well under either manager. They were 36-38 when Washington began his leave but, as mentioned, they almost lost 100 games last year. They finished this season with a 72-90 record. Of course, a manager can only work with the roster they are given, so it’s up for debate whether the club’s lack of success has anything to do with Washington or Montgomery.
Blum adds that it’s unclear if general manager Perry Minasian will return. He is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027. Minasian first got the gig in November of 2020. During his tenure, the club has flirted with competitive baseball but has always come up short. They won 77 games in 2021 but dropped to 73 wins in each of the next two seasons. As mentioned, they dropped to 63 last year. Getting to 72 wins in 2025 was technically an improvement over last year but it was only a return to the same unsatisfactory level of the preceding campaigns.
In time, more should be revealed about the club’s plan. They will at least need to conduct a managerial search. Whether that search is conducted by Minasian or someone else remains to be seen. If he is removed, then a front office search will likely be conducted before the managerial search. Washington and Montgomery, meanwhile, will presumably be looking for new coaching gigs elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
Sad reacts only
I wish the best for Wash. I honestly think this is best for both parties.
While I think the answer is to have the owner bid farewell to baseball, until that happens, there are several intriguing names out there that hold serious clout.
Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy are two of those names.
And neither should manage the Angels.
Wash back to Atl.
I’m going outside to smoke a cigarette. I kid.
Time to hire Mickey Mouse.
It worked last time
Get AI to manage the team. I keep hearing a lot about it. How bad can it be?
Raven, AI would probably tell them all about the origin of free agency and how each team started, leaving out key details, then it would try to sign Derek Jeter.
The current players could get a lift because he brings gift baskets.
I don’t see how Allen Iverson is all that relevant to baseball but it couldn’t hurt….
Underrated comment
ESPN approves
Man wash was the right guy for the angels but they probably don’t want drama with his health uncertainty
Good. Washington did a horrible job.
I never understood how Ron Washington got the job in the first place. We all make mistakes, however, doing coke while managing the Rangers should have been a lifetime ban from the game. The team did better when he went on leave. Laughing when intentionally walking Judge should have been the final straw
We all make mistakes; drug usage is a very hard thing to overcome. He did well as a Braves coach. Our society is full of drug usage with some states making drugs basically legal. You can’t punish someone forever
…lifetime ban? Dave Parker was just inducted into the HOF and was a cocaine kingpin for the 70’s Bucs.
The Angels did worse when Washington went on leave.. although to be fair, the team wasn’t going to do much better with him.
Judge cheekily tipped his cap at Ron, which is what led him to bust out laughing. Way to take an endearing moment and make it into something ugly
Rare to see so many different misguided statements in one short comment about baseball
Lifetime ban for coke lol A lot of players and managers would be gone.
Why – I’m really confused about the conversation here.
If someone used to do coke and has since switched to pepsi, why keep punishing the guy?
Tony Larussa says hold my beer
Its gonna be Pujols or Tori Hunter.
This org is the biggest mess in the four majors. At least Colorado and Pittsburgh are bad in like a traditional predictable way. This org is working overtime day & night to make their fans question whether or not sports are even worth it.
Good to see real you back.
Bad owner
David Ross is possibility. If he wants it.
Well…..so are
1. Brandon Hyde
2. Buck Showalter
3. Mystery Man
They need a new owner. Arte Moreno is the real problem. I feel bad for Angels fans.
Mike Trout for player-manager
Montgomery clearly proved he is not management material.
But as long as the owner, president, and the rest of the C suite remains the same so will the on field product,
Do Arte and Minasian really think that a new would make a difference?
Sell the team, Arte Morono!
Bob Melvin. Has to keep his California streak going
In other news not on Planet Baseball, Arte Moreno fires himself.
They plan to hire Doc Brown hoping he’ll take the Delorean back in time to get Nolan Ryan and a few other guys from the 70s.
Wonder if Arte had these two ejected from the premises Chip Kelly style or if he released the hounds Mr. Burns style.
We all predicted this when Wash was hired.
“Washington revealed that he had undergone a quadruple bypass to remove blockages from his heart valves.”
Had to look this up because that doesn’t make any sense. I guess this is what Washington, himself, claimed happened.
Bypass surgery does not remove blockages from heart valves. He must’ve meant his coronary arteries. I understand why Washington got confused but it’s weird every reporter just ran with this misnomer without looking into it.
I just wish they would go back to being the California Angels of California.
They can’t. Prior to going to LAA, they petitioned MLB to go back to CA and were denied.
And they were the Los Angeles Angels before the California Angels
Hire Vitello before the giants do or make trout player manager Can’t get any worse
Seriously hire Kershaw
Kershaw isn’t coaching. If he was content to spend the entire summer traveling with an MLB team he’d keep playing.
If St. Louis doesn’t find a job for him, this just screams opportunity for Pujols to get his first managing gig where he’ll have a lot of room to learn before he gets fired for the first time.
I assume after today’s press conference in St. Louis that they’re not going to turn it over this season unless things start off really poorly and even then maybe not, so there’s no shot for Pujols unless he’s willing to take a bench coach job for a year (at least) before getting his shot. That’s also assuming they’re not getting Yadi to take a bench role and then the main job next season, preferring him as the better of two options.
I think Pujols will make a great manager and he’s got that weird personal services contract with the Angels so it only makes sense that he’s next in line for the job if he’s ready.
I’m still available if they want an experienced manager. Call my agent and set something up.
The only two choices at this point should be Erstad or Hunter. I dont want another 60-70+ year old managing this team.
162-0 here we come. Got that swag back. Swag gonna keep the rotation healthy and produce offense at SS. Feelsgoodman
In hindsight Joe Maddon at least made the games and interviews more interesting.
Maybe they promote a 2025 draft pick to manager?Minasian is aggressive with promotions.
Who’s being punished? Hey, make Rendon manager. He’s not doing anything else and is already being paid.
John Carpino has been President of the Angels since November of 2009.
At the time, the Angels were perennial playoff contenders coming off an ALCS loss to A-roid and the Yankees. The farm had talent, the coaching staff had talent,
Since then, there has been 1 playoff appearance and 4 winning records in 16 seasons.
His qualifications for working in his job: Arte’s friend from his billboard days.