Today, Brad Ausmus has been relieved of his managerial duties of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Furthermore, Ausmus had the pleasure of managing Mike Trout through one 72-90 season after an up and down four years at the same position with the Detroit Tigers.
This news came first from Buster Olney of ESPN on twitter.
The Angels have fired Brad Ausmus.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 30, 2019
There could be bigger news on the horizon for the Angels, but let’s first get a quote from general manager Billy Eppler on the firing. After all, firing quotes; that’s what we are all here for.
“[Ausmus] navigated this franchise through one of its most difficult seasons with class and professionalism,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said in a statement. “This was an incredibly difficult decision but after significant consideration, we’ve decided it is necessary to go in another direction.”
Indeed, this was a challenging season for the Angels in losing Tyler Skaggs. Coincidentally or not, the baseball the Angels played in the stretch following the unfortunate passing of Skaggs was some of the best they played all season.
Moreover, Mike Trout ended the season on the injured list. While Anaheim got perhaps their best Trout season ever, there are a lot of other issues that need cleaned up before it’s a contending ball club.
Equally important, there’s speculation that Joe Maddon could become the next manager of the Angels. On Sunday, we learned Joe Maddon was out as Cubs manager. Now, Joe Maddon has expressed interest in the job.
Breaking: The Angels have fired manager Brad Ausmus.
Joe Maddon has expressed immediate interest in the job https://t.co/vmjfxa0bpy— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 30, 2019
Of course, when you’re out of work and still of age to work and make good income; there’s usually interest. Moreover, it’s the opportunity to manage a team in California that has Mike Trout on the roster.
Without question, most guys would be interested. The question is, will Angels ownership (Arte Moreno, the big man) see a fit and open his checkbook. Equally important, what other teams will throw their name in the Maddon hat?
Let us know in the comments below if Maddon should get another shot, or if the Angels should start fresh with their own guy like the Dodgers did with Dave Roberts, or the Astros with A.J. Hinch.
