Could Angels Pivot and Go After Top Manager on Free Agent Market?

Maren Angus-Coombs | Oct 7, 2024

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Former Miami Marlins manager and Major League Baseball veteran Skip Schumaker is the most popular choice for teams looking to make a change.

The Los Angeles Angels have made it clear that Ron Washington is their guy. They won't be making a run at Schumaker.

While most teams would look to make a managerial change after a franchise-worst season, Washington wasn't exactly dealt a winning hand.

BREAKING: Miami manager Skip Schumaker told Marlins players tonight he will not return to the team in 2025, sources told ESPN.

He immediately becomes the top available manager and will be a coveted free agent this winter. News, free and unlocked, at ESPN: https://t.co/HOhTzfzghC

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 28, 2024

Injuries significantly weakened the roster, revealing issues with depth. Additionally, young players who once showed potential have regressed in their development.

Although the Angels face numerous roster decisions, they have opted to keep Washington and his coaching staff in place for now.

“He was perfect, for me,” general manager Perry Minasian said of Washington. “Obviously, we want to win more games. But as far as what my vision for that spot needed to be, first and foremost, accountability is No. 1. And creating accountability in that room. Creating expectations in that room. Creating a work ethic in that room. Teaching, from a game standpoint, from situation to situation. That’s for our staff too.”

According to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, Minasian said he wanted to keep all the coaches because “continuity is really important to me.”

The absence of changes in those roles may come as a surprise to those focused solely on the Angels' 99-loss season. However, Minasian is encouraging fans to take a closer look at the situation and see beyond the surface.

“For our fans, the ones that have been following us over the last three years and have gone through what we’ve gone through the last three years, I wouldn’t jump off the bandwagon now,” he said. “This team is going to improve. It’s going to be an exciting team to watch going forward. Again, I wouldn’t jump off a bandwagon now.”

Minasian and others in the front office are convinced that the Angels are going to improve quickly. Washington can command a clubhouse and the players respond to him but if the ownership doesn't bring in depth then the results might not change much.

The 44-year-old Schumaker earned the National League Manager of the Year award last season for guiding the Marlins to an unexpected playoff appearance.

Following the resignation of Marlins general manager Kim Ng in October—after the team suggested bringing in a president of baseball operations—Schumaker's contract was adjusted, and the option for 2025 was eliminated.