Former Angels manager Joe Maddon sent some mixed signals about his firing from the Angels earlier this season.
Maddon, notorious for his quirky managing style and his “will try anything once if it sounds fun” attitude, was let go after starting 2022 with a 27-29 record. He was fired in the middle of a skid after a promising start for the Angels who opted instead for Phil Nevin. Since then, the Angels have gone 26-38 and are going to miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
All of this is in spite of Shohei Ohtani continuing to do things baseball has never seen and the team sitting in the middle of Mike Trout’s 12-year, $426.5 million contract. As GM Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno look for answers, Maddon has some obvious advice.
“The infrastructure needs to be improved. There’s a lot of things that need to be improved there,” Maddon said in a feature with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. “These guys can’t do it alone, obviously. It’s the non-sexy stuff that has to get better. It’s not just bright, shiny objects — they have that.”
Where Maddon really took issue, however, was with the numbers-driven approach the Angels — and other MLB front offices — have employed in recent years.
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“When people keep blaming the dugout for a lot of the things they’re seeing, they need to understand they shouldn’t be doing that,” Maddon explained. “Because the manager has so many voices in the back of his head by the time the game begins, it’s not his game like it had been. It’s absolutely the front office’s game.”
As MLB continues to change and evolve the metrics it hones in on, Maddon went as far as to say general managers should spend some time in the dugout.
“It’s at the point where some GM should really just put a uniform on and go down to the dugout, or their main analytical membrane, he should go down to the dugout,” he said.
Which managers have been fired in 2022?
MLB has seen several managers fired in the middle of the season for far this year.
- Joe Girardi — Philadelphia Phillies
- Joe Maddon — Los Angeles Angels
- Charlie Montoyo — Toronto Blue Jays
- Chris Woodward — Texas Rangers
In addition to Woodward, the Rangers also fired longtime GM Jon Daniels. As far as firings go, the Phillies have benefited the most, with Rob Thomson impressing in his managerial debut. The Blue Jays are also in the middle of a playoff push with John Schneider at the helm.
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What are the Angels prospects for next season?
By dealing outfielder Brandon Marsh at the deadline, the Angels bolstered one of the worst farm systems in MLB with catcher Logan O’Hoppe, who has been sensational at Double-A Rocket City with a batting average of .306 and an OPS of 1.179.
Of the Angels’ ambitions in 2023, Minasian seemed optimistic.
“We’ll see. I do (believe we can win in 2023),” Minasian said after the trade deadline, via The Athletic. “I still think there’s talent here. Health is a big part of it. We have to find a way to stay healthy. And it’s on me. We’ve got to find more depth. I’ve got to build a better roster.”
Depth is, of course, the core issue. With Trout battling injury again this season, Ohtani has remained the one bright spot on the team. And with his free agency looming after 2023, the clock is ticking in Los Angeles. Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera have struggled this year, and they’re under contract through next year as well.
In other words, Los Angeles has a lot of figuring out to do, particularly with a payroll that is already going to be hefty in 2023. The team’s lack of depth and a farm system are ominous.