The Angels are starting to lay the groundwork for a new general manager, and the search already sounds like it’s going to reach beyond their own walls.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Halos are taking a broad approach and have been asking for permission to interview candidates who are currently working for other clubs. With interim GM John Mozeliak set to step away when his contract expires in December, the timing is murky, especially with the lockout looming. Still, the club appears intent on lining up options.
Rosenthal floated Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold as a name the Angels should try to pry loose. That would be a tough pull, especially after the Brewers just won the World Series, but there may be another way to tap into that front office.
Matt Kleine has spent several years as an assistant general manager in Milwaukee and recently interviewed for the Houston Astros’ GM opening. The Brewers have long been viewed as one of the sharpest organizations in baseball, and that reputation only got louder with a title.
For the Angels, getting someone from that group would be a logical swing.
Another Brewers connection comes in the form of Will Cousins. Rosenthal not only mentioned Arnold, but also suggested Erik Neander, the Tampa Bay Rays’ head of baseball operations, if Arnold is out of reach.
Cousins would be a more realistic target. He’s an analyst who worked on the research and development side before moving up to assistant GM, and he could help the Angels become a more efficient, more modern organization in the Rays mold.
There’s also a Cardinals angle. If it were up to Mozeliak, the Angels likely would have hired Randy Flores, his former St.
Louis Cardinals colleague, but the Astros got him instead. Another possible Cardinals import is assistant GM Moisés Rodríguez.
He comes with a scouting background and has helped identify some strong talent in that role, which makes him a sensible fit for a front office looking for a new direction.
The Angels still have a decision to make, but the early names on the board all point to the same thing: a search for a fresh face in baseball operations, and one with a sharp front-office pedigree.
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For the Angels, that would matter because it could turn a pricey trade pursuit into a more manageable free-agent decision, especially with the club weighing its own internal options and salary commitments. Durans injury history adds another layer to the evaluation, but so does the possibility that the Angels can be patient and let the market come to them rather than paying up early. If they believe he is the right fit, waiting might be the smarter way to solve a problem that has lingered in center field. [Read more 🡒]