The Los Angeles Angels are set to hire veteran MLB manager Ron Washington as their next bench boss according to reports.
Washington, 71, has spent the last 7 seasons as 3rd base coach of the Atlanta Braves. Prior to that he was manager for the Texas Rangers, guiding them to two World Series during his tenure.
“He’s everything you could want, he deserves the opportunity,” said Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos. “He’s excited. Obviously I’m excited for him. It’s a huge loss for us. I emphasize that in caps, bold, italicized, all of it. Huge void. But I had six years with him, and I can’t imagine I’ll be around a guy like that in my entire career.”
The Angels are set to sign Washington to a two year deal as the club prepares for the possibility of both a post-Ohtani and post-Trout future depending on how the offseason shakes out. The former utility player will be the oldest manager in Major League Baseball when he takes over the team in 2024, while also becoming the 5th skipper in the last 7 seasons for the ill fated Halos.
Los Angeles rolled the dice this season by opting to keep Ohtani at the trade deadline, and sold off several of their top prospects to add to their MLB roster for a playoff push that ultimately fell short. Now, they face the very real possibility that Ohtani could walk for nothing, while Mike Trout’s name continues to be buoyed about in trade rumours.
Despite the fact that Trout has brought home three MVP awards, and Ohtani being poised to bring home his 2nd this season, the Angels haven’t been to the postseason since 2014. That lack of playoff success is a big reason why it’s unlikely that Ohtani will be returning to Angel Stadium next spring.
Nevertheless, LA still has some promising young bats in their lineup, and will be hoping that Washington’s experience can help right the ship in 2024. With or without the generational talents of Trout and Ohtani.
Photo: Jeffrey Hayes. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.