Former New York Mets Manager Among Angels Finalists

Buck Showalter continues his campaign for a managerial job in 2024 as the Los Angeles Angels are considering him.

Former New York Mets manager Buck Showalter has spoken with the Los Angeles Angles about its managerial opening and is now among several finalists being considered, per MLB.com.

Showalter was a casualty of the Mets’ 2023 season, during which they went 75-87 and traded away pitchers like Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and David Robertson at the deadline as the Mets determined they were no longer contenders and became focused on building a winner for 2025.

Since Showalter’s departure, the Mets have hired a new president of baseball operations in David Stearns and has seen the resignation of general manager Billy Eppler, a move reportedly made to give Stearns a “fresh start.” MLB is investigating Eppler for improperly manipulating the injured list during his tenure with the Mets.

Shortly after his departure from the Mets, Showalter reportedly expressed interest in the job when the Angels chose not to pick up the 2024 option of manager Phil Nevin.

Now, Angels owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian have a decision to make, one that could determine whether the Angels have any chance of retaining two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who is set to hit free agency and is the likely American League MVP for 2023.

Minasian and Showlater have a shared history. When Showalter managed the Texas Rangers, Minasian was a staff assistant under Showalter. Before that, he was a clubhouse attendant as his father, Zack, was the Rangers’ assistant clubhouse manager.

Showalter was a runner-up for the Angels job when Joe Maddon got it before Nevin replaced him.

Other reported finalists for the job are Benji Gil, Torii Hunter, Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon.

Showalter is no stranger to taking over underperforming teams. He’s done it at every previous stop, including the Mets. He took over the Mets before the 2022 season as they were coming off a 2021 when they won 77 games under Luis Rojas. Showalter, buoyed by big-time free agency signings like Scherzer, won 101 games but lost in the NL Wild Card series to the San Diego Padres.

In his MLB career he is 1,727-1,665 with a 10-16 postseason record. Of the five teams he managed, the only one he failed to take to the postseason was the Rangers.