In an interesting bit of “what if” history, Scott Miller of Bleacher Report runs down the story of how new Angels manager Joe Maddon almost become the club’s skipper at the tail end of the ’90s (link). Apparently, former Angels GM Bill Bavasi identified Maddon back in 1996 as a potential future manager and hatched a plot to install the pitching mind as something of an heir apparent–assuming, of course, that Bavasi could secure the managerial services of Sparky Anderson to serve as Maddon’s mentor. The plan went awry, however, when Bavasi, then-team president Tony Tavares, and Anderson met for a fateful lunch. Apparently, Tavares was offput when Anderson, then 62, struggled to raise a soup spoon to his mouth with a steady hand, and the prez nixed the Anderson-Maddon succession plan immediately after the lunch date. The club later went with Terry Collins as manager (with Maddon serving as bench coach), with the club later going outside the org to hire Mike Scioscia after the ouster of Collins.
Angels Rumors
MLBTR Poll: Joe Maddon’s Angels Tenure
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.)
Angels Considering Mike Butcher For Pitching Coach Role
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Angels are considering Mike Butcher for the club’s open pitching coach position (link).
Butcher, who pitched for four seasons with the then-California Angels from 1992 to 1995, has served as a pitching coach for the last fourteen seasons in the major leagues. Recently dismissed after a four-year run in the Arizona dugout, Butcher previously held stints with the Rays in 2006 and with Anaheim’s club from 2007 to 2015–so Butcher’s hire would represent something of a homecoming.
Of course, that stop in Tampa coincided with Joe Maddon’s time there, so it would be apropos for the Angels to welcome back two former franchise members with a working familiarity with one another. LA’s previous pitching coach, Doug White, was fired after the org helped manager Brad Ausmus to the door at September’s end. Maddon will also be in search of a new bench coach in the coming months.
Analyzing Maddon Hiring's Impact On Eppler
- In our recent poll “Executives Under Pressure”, MLBTR readers voted on which club GM they thought would most be feeling the pressure in 2020 to put out a winning club–or else. Angels GM Billy Eppler placed third in the polling (behind Neal Huntington of the Pirates and Matt Klentak of the Phillies), with 11.81% of readers positing that LA’s fifth-year GM will likely be maneuvering to keep his job this offseason. In the view of The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, today’s hiring of Joe Maddon to the club’s manager seat might be further evidence toward Eppler’s occupational insecurity (link). “From every indication, owner Arte Moreno drove the hiring of Maddon, and by doing so, undercut his GM,” writes Rosenthal. Eppler will be tasked with several challenges heading into this winter, including the reinforcement of a pitching staff recently decimated by injuries and the loss of hurler Tyler Skaggs.
Angels Hire Joe Maddon
11:24AM: Maddon’s contract is a three-year deal worth $12MM, Jeff Fletcher tweets.
10:03AM: The Angels have hired Joe Maddon to be the team’s next manager. Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reported (Twitter link) that an agreement had been reached, after MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported earlier today that Maddon and the Angels were closing in on a deal. Official terms of the contract haven’t been released, though ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reported that Maddon is expected to earn roughly $12MM-$15MM over a three-year deal.
“We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans,” Angels GM Billy Eppler said in an official press release from the team. “Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our Club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series Championship.”
The signing represents something of a homecoming for Maddon, who was a member of the Angels organization from 1975-2005. After playing four seasons of minor league ball in the Halos’ farm system, Maddon transitioned into scouting, coaching, and managing within the team’s minor league ranks before joining the Major League coaching staff prior to the 1994 season. Maddon worked as the first base coach and bench coach, serving in the latter role in 2002 during the Angels’ World Series championship year.
From there, Maddon went on to amass a 1225-1044 record over 14 seasons managing the Rays and Cubs, a resume that includes eight postseason appearances, four division titles, both an American League and National League pennant, and (of course) the 2016 World Series title that ended the Cubs’ championship drought after 107 years.
The 65-year-old Maddon has developed a reputation as one of the game’s more innovative motivators and thinkers, though as far back as a year ago, it seemed like rumors were already swirling that 2019 would be Maddon’s last year at Wrigley Field. Those rumors came to fruition after the Cubs missed the postseason for the first time in Maddon’s tenure (though the team still had a winning record at 84-78), and the Cubs announced that Maddon wouldn’t be brought back on a new contract for 2020 and beyond.
This technically isn’t Maddon’s first time managing the Angels, as his long tenure with the club included two separate stints (totaling 51 games) as an interim manager. But now he’ll officially take over in the dugout following the abrupt and rather surprising dismissal of Brad Ausmus, who was let go just one season into a three-year deal with Los Angeles. Speculation immediately began to build about a Maddon/Angels reunion as soon as Maddon’s parting with the Cubs became official, and since Ausmus’ firing came quickly after Maddon became available, it seemed like it was only just a matter of time before Maddon returned to Anaheim. Still, the Angels did some due diligence in their search, also speaking to former Buck Showalter, John Farrell, and Johnny Washington about the manager’s job. Showalter was the runner-up for the position, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
Maddon also received some interest from the Padres about their managerial vacancy, though seemingly no official connection between the two sides was ever made. With eight teams in search for new managers this offseason, the fact that Maddon only formally interviewed with the Angels could indicate that they were each other’s top choice all along, as Maddon would have seemingly been a fit for several other teams in need for new bench bosses. The Phillies, for instance, have been looking at veteran managers and theoretically would’ve been a prime fit for Maddon, a Pennsylvania native.
The Angels are coming off a 72-90 record in Ausmus’ only season as manager, a disappointing year on the field that was overshadowed by the tragic death of Tyler Skaggs. Maddon will now be taking over an organization still reeling from Skaggs’ loss, as well as potential future ramifications that could stem from the circumstances surrounding his death.
In terms of on-field matters, the Angels haven’t had a winning record since 2015 and have reached the postseason only once in the last ten seasons (a three-game sweep at the hands of the Royals in the 2014 ALDS). It isn’t a sterling record for any team, though the Angels’ lack of success particularly stands out given the presence of Mike Trout. Despite having baseball’s best player for the bulk of the decade, Los Angeles has been consistently hampered by injuries and a lack of return from high-priced acquisitions (such as Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, Vernon Wells, and C.J. Wilson).
Between Maddon’s hiring and the fact that Eppler is only under contract for one more season, the Angels seem poised for an aggressive offseason in order to finally get back into contention. The Halos are widely expected to pursue starting pitching, and the position player side could be improved from within should stars like Justin Upton or Andrelton Simmons rebound from down years. Shohei Ohtani is also expected to return to the mound following Tommy John surgery, giving L.A. the full benefit of his two-way skills as both a starter and a designated hitter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Angels Nearing Deal With Joe Maddon
9:22AM: “A deal is not imminent” between Maddon and the Angels, Maria Torres of the L.A. Times writes (Twitter link), as details are “still being worked out.” Likewise, Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group hears from a source that the team is “working on it.”
8:39AM: The Angels are closing in on an agreement to bring aboard Joe Maddon as the team’s manager, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). It’s expected to be a three-year pact that pays Maddon in the realm of $12MM to $15MM, as per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers (Twitter link).
If indeed a pact is completed, it’d be the first domino to fall in a busy winter of managerial movement. And it would bring the Halos an experienced and long-lauded new dugout leader to help flip the script after yet another disappointing campaign.
Maddon just wrapped up a successful stint with the Cubs. He led the Chicago organization to the promised land, finally bringing a championship to Wrigley in 2016, though the good vibes faded a bit in his final year at the helm. Maddon finished with a 471-339 record in his five seasons in Chicago, reaching the postseason four times.
This match has made sense on paper ever since it became clear that Maddon wasn’t coming back to the Cubs, and speculation grew even heavier once the Halos fired manager Brad Ausmus after just one season. Maddon has a long history with the Angels, having spent more than three decades with the organization earlier in his career.
Report: Angels Employee Named In Skaggs Drug Case
The tragic passing of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs cast a pall over much of the 2019 MLB season, as fans, teammates, and team employees struggled to make sense of the promising player’s untimely end. Unfortunately, today’s report from ESPN’s T.J. Quinn indicates that the federal investigation into Skaggs’ death is foreshadowing troubling new developments (link).
According to Quinn’s report, an Angels public relations employee named Eric Kay allegedly told federal investigators that he provided Skaggs with oxycodone for several years. Apparently, Kay admitted that two Angels officials were made aware of Skaggs’ drug use “long before his death”, and provided Drug Enforcement Administration agents with the names of five other players who he believed were using opiates while they were Angels. Quinn cites “two sources familiar with the investigation” as the basis for this report.
Kay is accused of also telling investigators that his provision of drugs to Skaggs was part of a longstanding arrangement between the two men, in which Kay would acquire drugs for both he and Skaggs, with Skaggs covering the costs involved. Kay’s attorney, a man named Michael Molfetta, confirmed to Quinn the details of Kay’s statements, which were given in separate meetings with DEA agents in Dallas and Los Angeles in late September.
Unfortunately, this report seems to ally with allegations made by Tyler Skaggs’ family in the immediate aftermath of his death. In late August, the family issued a statement that read: “We were shocked to learn that [Skaggs’s death] may involve an employee of the Los Angeles Angels. We will not rest until we learn the truth about how Tyler came into possession of these narcotics, including who supplied them.”
If the details of Quinn’s report are verified over time, then the family’s statement may have been the first missive in a saga that could have far-reaching implications. We have already heard that Major League Baseball and the player’s union are considering new wrinkles in the league’s drug policy, including efforts to prevent opioid-related tragedies like Skaggs’ passing. It remains to be seen what consequences the Los Angeles organization could face if, as alleged in Quinn’s report, team officials were aware of Skaggs’ illicit drug use. Back in late August, an MLB spokesperson indicated to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times that the league planned to look into the family’s allegations of team involvement.
Kay is said to have worked as the Director of Communications for the Angels for several years; he is currently in outpatient treatment for substance abuse and has been placed on paid leave from the Angels, according to Quinn’s report.
Skaggs was found dead on Jul 1 in a Dallas-area hotel room, with “alcohol, fentanyl and oxycodone intoxication with terminal aspiration of gastric contents” cited as the cause of death by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office. He was 27 years old at the time of his death.
Latest On Angels’ Search For Manager
The Angels have interviewed Padres hitting coach Johnny Washington for their open managerial position, according to Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. Washington’s one of four known candidates to interview for the job, joining Joe Maddon, Buck Showalter and John Farrell. It appears Washington, Showalter and Farrell will have to look elsewhere, though, as Miller writes Maddon is “all but officially” locked in as the Angels’ next manager.
Washington’s the sole member of the above quartet who has never managed in the majors. A minor league infielder with the Rangers and Dodgers from 2003-09, Washington has garnered quite a bit of experience as an assistant since his playing career ended. Washington was a coach in the Dodgers’ minor league system from 2009-15 before joining the Padres, with whom he got his first big league job as a first base coach in 2017. He began working with their batters (as an assistant hitting coach) the next season.
While Washington may one day prove to be a quality MLB manager, it’s hard to compete with Maddon right now. To many, the 65-year-old Maddon has been a shoo-in to end up with the Angels since the club fired Brad Ausmus on Sept. 30. The Angels’ high level of interest in Maddon is understandable, as he spent three decades with the organization in a variety of roles (including interim manager) before enjoying an eminently successful run as a full-time skipper from 2006-19. Atop the Rays and Cubs during that span, Maddon combined for 1,225 regular-season wins, eight playoff berths, two pennants and a World Series title.
MLBTR Poll: Most Desirable Managerial Opening?
The Phillies fired Gabe Kapler on Thursday, leaving them as one of eight major league teams searching for a manager at the moment. Fellow National League clubs in the Padres, Mets, Pirates, Giants and Cubs are in the same position, while the Royals and Angels are seeking new skippers in the AL. The question is: Which team has the most desirable job?
For starters, we can probably rule out the Pirates and Royals. Both teams have been hamstrung by low payrolls, with notoriously penny-pinching ownership holding back Pittsburgh and Kansas City (a team whose ownership is in transition) coming off its second 100-loss season in a row. Neither team looks as if it’ll contend in the immediate future, and the same may apply to the Giants, though they are a club with big-spending capabilities and promising president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi at the helm. On the other hand, the rest of the league’s manager-needy organizations look to have decent odds of pushing for relevance sooner than later.
The Phillies just wrapped up their eighth consecutive non-playoff season, but with 81 wins, they weren’t exactly a basement dweller. Kapler’s successor will be taking over a team with big-time talent on hand (Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Aaron Nola, to name a few) and the spending power to amply address its most obvious weaknesses this offseason.
Like the Phillies, the Padres have been suffering for too long. They’re fresh off their 13th straight year without a playoff berth, but they’re another team with front-line talent (Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Chris Paddack). Moreover, the Padres remain loaded on the farm, and owner Ron Fowler has made it clear it’s time to start winning in 2020.
The Mets also have no shortage of top-line players, including ace Jacob deGrom and NL Rookie of the Year favorite Pete Alonso. However, their managerial position is probably the most pressure-packed of all the openings. Previous skipper Mickey Callaway oversaw an 86-win team in 2019, but he dealt with scrutiny from the media, fans and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen from start to finish.
There’s also high expectations in Chicago, where even an exemplary record over five years wasn’t enough to keep Joe Maddon employed. The Cubs and president of baseball ops Theo Epstein gave Maddon the boot even though he helped them break a 108-year World Series drought in 2016 and led them to an overall 471-339 regular-season record with four playoff berths during his reign. But the Cubs, another financially well-off club with enviable high-end talent (Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Hendricks, for example), saw enough of Maddon after a late-season collapse and a non-playoff showing in 2019. Maddon’s replacement will be inheriting an 84-win team that will have playoff expectations for next year.
The Angels, who seem like the favorites to land Maddon next, are another franchise with a sense of urgency to win in 2020. Despite the presence of the game’s best player, center fielder Mike Trout, they haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2014. The Halos haven’t even won a playoff game since October 2009, just a few months after drafting Trout. With fourth-year general manager Billy Eppler set to enter the last season of his contract in 2020, it’s imperative for him to get this hire right (his previous selection of Brad Ausmus didn’t work out). Otherwise, he and the Angels’ next manager could be out a year from now.
That’s a basic overview of where the sport’s manager-less teams stand heading into the offseason. There are more factors you could consider, of course. Which job looks the most appealing to you?
(Poll link for app users)
Angels To Interview Buck Showalter, John Farrell
Joe Maddon is reportedly the front-runner to take over as the Angels’ next manager, but they’re not going to hand him the job without first doing their due diligence on at least a few names. The club’s conducting interviews with three other candidates this week, including former managers Buck Showalter and John Farrell, per reports from Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The fourth contender’s unknown, but it’s not Angels special assistant Eric Chavez, according to Torres.
Like Maddon, both Showalter and Farrell have managed multiple major league teams apiece to this point. The 63-year-old Showalter is a three-time Manager of the Year who oversaw the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Orioles for a combined 20 seasons from 1992-2018. The O’s parted with Showalter after last year, a 47-win season in which they launched a full rebuild.
Farrell, 57, is an ex-major league right-hander who was a member of the Angels from 1993-94. He’s better known for his post-playing career, though, having managed the Blue Jays and Red Sox between 2011-17. In his greatest accomplishment in the role, Farrell helped the Red Sox to a World Series title in his first year atop the club in 2013. The rest of Farrell’s tenure with the team produced mixed results. The Red Sox finished below .500 twice in a row from 2014-15, but they took home AL East crowns in each of the next two seasons.
Despite its regular-season success under Farrell from 2016-17, Boston parted with him after back-to-back first-round knockouts in the playoffs. Farrell has stayed in the game since then by working as a scout and a pitching consultant for the Reds.
