The Angels were in a very different place as recently as June of 2025, and Ron Washington was a big part of that. With Washington at the helm, Los Angeles was hanging around the .500 mark and still in the mix for a playoff spot.
Then Washington stepped away because of health reasons, and the whole thing unraveled. Interim manager Ray Montgomery quickly wore out his welcome, alienating and frustrating at least half the roster before eventually being moved out of the organization.
That collapse is part of why Kurt Suzuki is now under the microscope. Suzuki looked like he might be settling in as a capable manager early, but by June it was clear he had lost the clubhouse. What came next was a brutal finish and one of the worst seasons the franchise has ever had, with the Angels reaching 100 losses for the first time in team history.
The organizational shakeup didn’t stop there. Perry Minasian, the GM who hired Suzuki, was fired in June. Not long after, Suzuki’s pitching coach Mike Maddux was let go, along with two other coaches.
The issue with Washington isn’t the decision to step aside. He wanted to keep managing, but the demands of the job and the travel had caught up with him.
He is now serving as an infield coach with the San Francisco Giants, where the travel remains part of the deal, but the pressure is far lower. Washington has long been regarded as one of the best in the business in that role.
And the larger point remains: the roster Washington worked with was not dramatically different from the one Suzuki inherited. Washington may come off as calm and easygoing, but behind the scenes he would not have tolerated the sloppy, forgettable baseball that has become too familiar around the Angels.
Moreno likely wanted to avoid the bad publicity that would have come with a Black Monday firing after the season, and the interim GM has already indicated that Suzuki should keep the job. Angels fans, though, would not take that well.
What happens next will be worth watching after the first of the year, when new ownership takes over and gets a say in a situation that sits well outside normal baseball protocol.
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Among the names drawing attention are Nelson Rada, Raudi Rodriguez and Joel Hurtado, each at a different stage of development but all with a chance to matter when the roster turns over. Their minor league performance is the key piece here, since the Angels are looking for more than just depth, they need players who can grow into meaningful roles and help define what the next version of the team looks like. [Read more 🡒]
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The biggest question for Angels fans is no longer just whether Pujols wants the job, but who will have the authority to hand it to him. The new ownership group has yet to say who will run the front office, and that figure will matter as much as the name on the dugout door. Pujols reported management asks have also made the picture less tidy, leaving his candidacy tied to decisions still waiting to be made at the very top of the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Ownership Change Could Spark The Aggressive Winter Fans Wanted
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One of the biggest names expected to hit the market is Tarik Skubal, a pitcher who figures to draw heavy interest across baseball. For the Angels, the question is not just whether they can get involved, but whether this ownership change signals a willingness to attack the free-agent class in a way that matches the urgency of the moment and puts the team back in the conversation for elite talent. [Read more 🡒]