The Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday named Ron Washington their new manager, giving the club its fourth skipper since Mike Scioscia was not brought back after the 2018 season.
Washington, who served as the Atlanta Braves’ third-base coach the past seven seasons, will be tasked with leading the Angels to their first winning season since 2015, when the club went 85-77. That was one season after the club’s last playoff appearance.
Washington, 71, was the Texas Rangers manager for eight seasons, compiling a 664-611 record before he was fired. But he hasn’t held the position since he was dismissed late in the 2014 season. He helped Texas to the World Series in 2010 and 2011, with the club losing to the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively.
Since then, only three managers have led teams to consecutive World Series appearances: Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals (2014-15), Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers (2017-18) and Dusty Baker of the Houston Astros (2021-22).
Washington replaces Phil Nevin, who was let go after this past season. Nevin, who took over when Joe Maddon was fired early in the 2022 season, went 119-149 at the helm of the Angels.
With the decision at manager complete, Los Angeles now will look to compile a roster for 2024. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is a free agent and speculation has circulated that star outfielder Mike Trout could be traded in a potential roster rebuild.
Wildly considered among two of the top players in the game, Ohtani and Trout never were able to get the Angels to the playoffs in six seasons together. Trout has been in the postseason just once, when the Angels were swept in three games by the Kansas City Royals in 2014.
Washington’s Rangers teams went 18-16 in three separate postseasons. Twice in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, the Rangers were one strike away from a title before losing that contest and falling in Game 7 to the Cardinals.
–Field Level Media
