The Phil Nevin era as the Los Angeles Angels manager has been nothing short of a disaster. In 218 games managed, he has a record of 102-116. In 2022 he had a 46-60 record as manager. As a Maddon replacement after the team chose to punt on him and the season, the expectation was that Nevin would be replaced in the offseason. Then, owner Arte Merno said he would sell. This gave Nevin an extra year since the new owner would change things. As the spring came, Arte said he was staying, leaving the team in an odd spot with the coaching staff.
Arte putting the team for sale meant that Phil Nevin and Matt Wise were here to stay for the season. 2022 was never gonna the Angels’ year. It was meant to be a transition year for new ownership. Arte Moreno has sabotaged this team ever since purchasing them. #ArteSellTheTeam
— Rusty Shackleford (@RustyShackle00) August 6, 2023
Is The Clock Running Out on Angels Manager Phil Nevin?
Nevin’s Tenure
Phil Nevin was named the Angels manager on June 7th, 2022, replacing Joe Maddon. The team was in the middle of a 15-game losing streak. This move was the first step toward righting the ship and hopefully saving the season, but everything stayed the same. The team continued to struggle the rest of the way. The Angels traded some of their players at the deadline to give the younger players a shot. With a 73-89 record, 2022 marked the eighth year in a row that the Angels failed to make the postseason.
As for 2023, the team retooled the roster, getting better bench players and depth players, something that was missing in 2022. Even with the ups and downs of the season, the Angels, for the most part, kept things above water. Nevin’s management is a unique one. The team is less aggressive on the bases and relies on home runs instead of a station-to-station approach. On the pitching side, it seems the game can sometimes get away from him. This has led to overuse of the bullpen and some fatigue from the younger guys. The failure of the Angels doesn’t fall squarely on Nevin, but he hasn’t done enough to stay as manager.
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In-House Replacement Candidates
Benji Gil should be the first guy the Angels interview for the manager’s spot. Gil is a former Angels player from the 2002 World Series team, but on top of that, he led a jumpstart Team Mexico to a semifinal matchup against Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Benji has experience as a manager in both Winter Ball and the Mexican Baseball League. In 2021 he took that team to the playoffs in the team’s first season. Gil has shown he can get the most out of his players quickly and for a season. All of this is on top of being a former player for the Angels and learning under Maddon and Nevin while talking to the players daily as the infield coach. At some point, he will get a shot as a manager. Why not as an Angel?
One guy that could sneak his way into the conversation is former Boston Red Sox and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine. Bobby has been doing pre and post-game analysis for Bally Sports West since 2022. Valentine hasn’t lost his eye for the game, at least in his analysis. He led the Mets to the World Series in 2000. His last managerial job did not end well. In 2012, as the Red Sox manager, he had a 69-93 record and finished last in the AL East. This led to a massive sale of significant contracts in August of that year. There is no indication Valentine wants to manage in the Majors, it is more of an interesting position that he is in with a team that will be looking for a new manager soon.
Outside the Organization
As things start to unfold across the league with managers, there are options from other teams. Nothing is set in stone, but there are names to be aware of. Brian Bannister is currently the director of pitching for the San Francisco Giants. The Angels might see him as a pitching coach, if not a manager. Nevertheless, expect to see his name pop up in the offseason. Another name expected to get a lot of attention is Mark DeRosa. DeRosa got a taste of the managerial role in the World Baseball Classic as he managed Team USA to the championship game. Undoubtedly, he will be the main guy in many of the managerial openings in baseball. Finally, there is Eric Chavez. Chavez was looked at as the favorite to replace Mike Scioscia back in 2018. Now he is the bench coach for the Mets. He, along with DeRosa, could be in high demand this offseason.
As the last few months of the season roll on, things begin to take shape on who is looking to replace their manager. Now that the ownership is stable, for now at least, they should look to stabilize the coaching staff. All in an effort to get this team back into contention.
Main photo credits:
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
