Los Angeles Angels Hire Joe Maddon
The Los Angeles Angels have hired Joe Maddon to become the team’s next manager. Coming back to Los Angeles will be a homecoming of sorts for Maddon, who spent 31 years in the Angels organization in various roles, from 1975-2005. ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers reported that Maddon is expected to receive a three-year contract in the $12-15 million range.
OFFICIAL: The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to terms with manager Joe Maddon. pic.twitter.com/PKZHBaljl8
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) October 16, 2019
Angels GM Billy Eppler released the following statement.
“We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans. 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.”
Getting Back to the Postseason
The Angels have hired Maddon for one main purpose — lead the team back to the postseason. Los Angeles has missed the postseason for five consecutive seasons and has made the playoffs just once in the past decade.
If anyone is able to get Los Angeles back to the promised land, Maddon appears to be the guy. The veteran manager has been known to lead struggling franchises back to contention. Maddon, 65, served nine years as the Tampa Bay Rays manager, leading them to their only World Series appearance in 2008. Although his biggest feat came in 2016 when he lead the Chicago Cubs to their first World Series title since 1908 — breaking a 107-year championship drought.
Still a Lot of Work to Do
The Angels have taken a step in the right direction with their hiring of Maddon. However, there is still a lot of work to do. For one thing, the team desperately needs pitching, ranking 25th in ERA in 2019. Adding another power bat to pair up with superstar Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani will be important as well. Also, the Angels will still be grieving the loss of Tyler Skaggs, and the team could wind up facing potential ramifications regarding his death.
Expect Maddon to get the Angels back to relevance in the near future, but don’t expect a smooth ride from the start.
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