Angels News: MLB Writer Lists Phil Nevin As Potential Hot Seat Target

Is Phil Nevin safe?

The Los Angeles Angels are on a roll at the moment. They are six games above .500, the most they've been all season, and things are looking good for the Halos. Coming into the 2023 season, there was and remains a ton of pressure on the team, and thus far, they are on track to be one of the six playoff teams in the AL. 

The Angels must continue this trend if they want a shot at ending their postseason drought. If they somehow do a 180, and the season goes sideways as we've seen in the past, that could mean the end for their skipper Phil Nevin, at least according to MLB columnist Dayn Perry.

Perry of CBS Sports listed five managers who could be on the hot seat if things don't go their team's way and put Nevin on the list. 

As for Nevin, he's led them to a 36-31 record, which puts them on pace for 87 wins. This shouldn't imperil Nevin's job, particularly in light of recent franchise standards. However, the other reality is that the Angels are 1 1/2 games out of playoff position and third in the queue for the last AL wild-card spot. That plus the general strength of the AL this year are reflected in the fact that the SportsLine Projection System right now gives the Angels just an 8.7% chance of making the playoffs. Throw in that Nevin's contract only runs through the current season, and a slide in the standings could imperil him at some point in what figures to be Ohtani's final season in Anaheim. 

(via CBS Sports)

The Angels' playoff odds are higher than that, according to FanGraphs. As of June 13, the halos stand at 12.1% to win the division, 25.3% to clinch a wild card spot, and 37.4% to make the playoffs. Those numbers could go higher or lower depending on how the Halos treat these next 90 or so games left. And, depending on how they perform, it could be at the expense of Nevin. 

There are no excuses this season; the front office did the best of their abilities to bolster the roster and could do more in the upcoming trade deadline. We'll see if the Halos can continue to trend upward. You cannot miss the postseason for the ninth straight season, especially with Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on your squad. 

We could be either praising Phil or pointing the finger at him come October.