Mike Scioscia

Mike Scioscia is stepping down from his post as Angels manager, the veteran skipper announced to the media (including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times and MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado) after the Halos concluded their final game of the season.  Rumors had swirled since August that this would be Scioscia’s final year as Los Angeles’ manager, and while there was some indication that Scioscia would retire from baseball altogether, he said today that he would be open to another managerial job with another club.

According to team president John Carpino (via Shaikin and other reporters), it was Scioscia’s decision to not return to the Angels.  This doesn’t exactly match last week’s news that Scioscia wanted to remain with the club, as he said he would make his final choice after talking with owner Arte Moreno and GM Billy Eppler.  This was the final season of Scioscia’s ten-year/$50MM contract, so the Angels could possibly have felt that change was necessary in the wake of three straight losing seasons.

Still, Scioscia’s 19-year tenure as the Angels’ bench boss has easily been the most successful stretch in franchise history.  Scioscia was a first-time manager when originally hired prior to the 2000 season, and he ended up managing the fifth-most games with a single franchise of any skipper in baseball history.  He currently sits 18th on baseball’s all-time managerial win list with 1650 victories (against 1428 losses).  Scioscia’s resume with the Halos included 11 winning seasons, six AL West titles, and the crowning jewel of the 2002 World Series championship, the first and only time the Angels have hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Over the last nine seasons, however, the Angels reached the postseason only once, a trip that resulted in an ignominious three-game sweep to the Royals in the 2014 ALDS.  Given that the game’s best player (Mike Trout) was on the roster for much of this stretch and the Angels have consistently posted large payrolls under Moreno’s ownership, there have been whispers over the last couple of years that Scioscia wouldn’t be back in 2019, if not sooner.  In fairness to Scioscia, however, it’s hard to blame him for the Angels’ recent struggles given that the team has been hit by a staggering amount of pitching injuries over the last three years.

It isn’t clear if Scioscia (who turns 60 in November) will pursue a managerial post immediately, or if he might take a year off to recharge his batteries and test the market.  The Reds, Rangers, and Blue Jays are the only three teams known to be looking for new managers this winter, and there has been heavy speculation that the Orioles could also be looking to replace Buck Showalter.  It’s possible more jobs could open up in the coming days or even weeks, depending on whether any playoff teams decide to make a change in the dugout.

The Angels will now embark on their first managerial search of the 21st century.  As Ken Rosenthal initially noted last August in his report about Scioscia’s impending departure, top in-house candidates for the job include bench coach Josh Paul, special assistant Brad Ausmus, and Triple-A manager Eric Chavez.  Fancred’s Jon Heyman wrote earlier this week that Chavez could be the favorite, as he only took over the Triple-A job (moving from his own special assistant role under Eppler) in early August, around the time of Rosenthal’s report.  It’s fair to assume that a wider-ranging search could take place, as external candidates are likely to have strong interest in a managing a roster that includes the likes of Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Justin Upton, and other intriguing pieces, though obviously the front office has some work to do this winter to get the Angels back in contending form.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

In an interview with Terry Smith of KLAA, Angels manager Mike Scioscia stated that he would “like to” continue managing beyond 2018 (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Maria Guardado). As the Angels’ season comes to a close, Scioscia said that he will consult with Angels owner Arte Moreno and general manager Billy Eppler to make a determination on his future:

“I’d like to. We’ll continue to evaluate things this week and I’ll speak with Arte and speak with Billy and kind of come to a decision, but I think that if you love something, you want to continue to keep doing it, and if you can, great, and if it doesn’t happen, so be it. But I love the dugout.”

Scioscia’s status for 2019 has been unclear since reports surfaced earlier in the season that he would not remain with the Angels past this season. Scioscia, however, refuted those reports, calling them “poppycock.” Scioscia has now doubled down on his comments, reiterating that he would prefer to continue in a managerial role with Los Angeles after 2018.

Scioscia, 59, has managed 19 seasons in the Major Leagues, all of them with the Angels. Currently in the final season of a 10-year, $50MM contract signed in 2009, Scioscia’s deal is set to expire at season’s end. However, Scioscia’s comments make it clear that he would be willing to accept an offer from the Angels. While the interest must be mutual if his Angels career is to continue, Moreno has been loyal to Scioscia, who has been the Angels’ only manager since Moreno purchased the team in 2003.

Scioscia has managed to a career record of 1645-1427, a .535 winning percentage. In 2002, his third season with the Angels, Scioscia led the team to a World Series title, the first in franchise history. His teams have reached the postseason seven times, most recently in 2014. A two-time American League Manager of the Year, Scioscia is the winningest manager in Angels history.

Amid the Angels’ recent struggles, having missed out on postseason play in each of the last four seasons, rumors surfaced that Scioscia was expected to step down as the Angels manager after the expiration of his contract. Reports suggested that it was unknown whether Scioscia was interested in managing for a new team if he were to step down. Any uncertainty regarding his motivations has vanished, though, as Scioscia’s most recent comments confirm that he intends to remain in Los Angeles, if possible.

SUNDAY, 3:38pm: In response to Nightengale’s report, Scioscia told media (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times): “This is insanity. That’s it.”

12:58pm: Scioscia decided before the season began that this will be his final year as a manager with the Angels or anyone else, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. He plans to retire at the end of the season, according to Nightengale.

10:38am: For what it’s worth, Scioscia denied Rosenthal’s report on Sunday, telling media members (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register): “Nothing has changed since we talked last October. That’s the best way I can put it. There’s always chatter out there. The only word I have is poppycock. That’s all it is.”

SATURDAY: Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who’s in the last season of a 10-year, $50MM contract, is expected to step down at the end of the campaign, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Scioscia’s not under pressure from the club to walk away, according to Rosenthal. Rather, the soon-to-be 60-year-old would depart of his own volition, and it’s unclear whether he’d be open to managing elsewhere in the future.

Scioscia, the longest-tenured manager in baseball, has been atop the Angels’ dugout since the club hired him prior to the 2000 season. The union between the Angels and Scioscia, a former Dodgers catcher, has been fruitful. The franchise won its only World Series title under Scioscia in 2002, taking out Barry Bonds and the Giants in a memorable seven-game set. The Scioscia-led Angels have also gone to the playoffs in six other seasons, each of which included a division title, and combined for a 1,625-1,402 regular-season record. Only 17 other managers have won more games than Scioscia, and 12 are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

While the Scioscia era has gone well in the aggregate, recent Angels teams haven’t been able to approach the early success the franchise had with him at the controls. Despite having the majors’ best player, center fielder Mike Trout, dating back to his breakout 2012 season, the Angels haven’t won a playoff series since 2009. They haven’t even won a postseason game with Trout, who was part of the most recent Angels playoff team – the 2014 club that Kansas City swept in the ALDS.

With Trout in his third-last year of team control, the Angels made several key moves this past offseason to return to prominence. Most notably, the Halos signed Japanese-born superstar Shohei Ohtani, a starting pitcher/designated hitter who was the majors’ top free agent in the offseason. Ohtani has wowed as a two-way player, but a right elbow sprain has kept him off the mound since June 6 and limited him to 49 1/3 innings. He’s among a host of Angels who have dealt with injury issues this season, which has helped lead to an underwhelming 55-57 record. As a result, the Angels are well out of the playoff race, trailing the AL West-leading Astros by 15 1/2 games and another division rival – the Athletics – by 10 1/2 for a wild-card spot.

Barring a miraculous comeback (and a change of heart from Scioscia), it appears his tenure in Anaheim will conclude in disappointing fashion and with a fourth straight non-playoff season. The Angels’ next skipper will be taking over for a team icon, one who has garnered AL Manager of the Year honors twice. Rosenthal notes that individual may come from inside the organization, though he does expect the Angels to explore outside candidates, too. The Halos hired former Tigers manager Brad Ausmus last winter as a special assistant to GM Billy Eppler, and he stands out as their most obvious in-house Scioscia successor. Otherwise, fellow Eppler assistant Eric Chavez or Scioscia’s bench coach, Josh Paul, could be possibilities, per Rosenthal.

Regardless of whether the Angels’ next manager ultimately comes from within, the club shouldn’t have difficulty attracting interest in the job. Led by Trout and Ohtani, there’s enviable talent on the Angels’ roster, and the franchise has consistently run high payrolls under owner Arte Moreno. This year’s team entered the campaign with the game’s seventh-most expensive roster, but unfortunately for the Angels and Scioscia, a dreary ending appears to be in store.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.