Jerry Dipoto resigns as Angels general manager
Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto has resigned, he confirmed to The Los Angeles Times.
The Angels will name Bill Stoneman as their interim general manager, according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported earlier Wednesday that Dipoto packed up his office Tuesday and left the team amid reports of a rift with team staff.
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia were not getting along, culminating with a closed-door meeting that left Dipoto upset because he felt the team’s staff was not putting scouting information and data provided by the front office to use in certain game situations.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick reported that Dipoto gave owner Arte Moreno an ultimatum that “backfired” and was soon packing his belongings after resigning, but a team official said that the situation with Dipoto is “status quo.”
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On Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan reported that multiple Angels players "were under the impression Jerry Dipoto was out as GM" before the team's game that night against the New York Yankees. Angels first baseman Albert Pujols was in no mood to respond to the reports that Dipoto was out when asked about it on Tuesday.
"That's none of your guys' business. Whatever happened in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse,” Pujols said to Fox Sports West.
"You've got 25 grown men. You've got the front office. You've got coaches. Whoever got that leaked, that's really embarrassing," Pujols added. "We're supposed to be family here.
According to multiple reports, Pujols was upset over a report that noted during meetings last weekend, he said that this year’s team wasn’t as good as last year’s.
“I don't need to talk about that. Who said I said that?" Pujols said. "I didn't say that, I can tell you that. I've freaking been in this league in 16 years. I would never disrespect the team. If somebody wrote that, that's pretty wrong. Whoever. I haven't read that story and I would never waste my time on that..."
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Dipoto has been the Angels' general manager since 2011 and is signed through the end of next season. Scioscia, who is currently baseball's longest-tenured manager, is locked up through '18, but has an opt-out clause in his contract that he can exercise at season's end.
Los Angeles (41–37) has won four games in a row and are four games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West.
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