Halo Hangout Roundtable: LA Angels Potential Managers

The LA Angels are looking for a new manager for the first time since the turn of the century, and dozens of names have already been connected. Today, our staff here at Halo Hangout will introduce you to some of our choices for the new Halos skipper.

The LA Angels have been connected to many names. Former players, former coaches, in-house options, out of house options. General manager Billy Eppler has a tall task in choosing the new manager, especially considering the team’s three consecutive losing seasons.

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However, Eppler and the majority of the Angels organization believe this is a playoff team next year. That all begins with the right choice of manager, and we’re going to take you through a list, highlighting each potential choice as to whether or not he has what it takes to take over the Angels clubhouse.

Eppler has not named any names yet, but has mentioned he wants someone forward-thinking to be managing the team. Eppler is one of the most progressive minds in baseball, and needs a coach that is willing to bet it all just like him each and every day.

That being said, welcome to the first ever Halo Hangout Roundtable: Manager Edition featuring myself and three other writers at Halo Hangout.  Let’s hope it is another 19 years until the next time we’re talking about managerial candidates.

Darin Erstad: The Gritty Former Player

By David Rice (@calfladave22 on Twitter)

“Fly ball to centerfield. Erstad says he’s got it. Erstad makes the catch. The Anaheim Angels are champions of baseball.”  These are the words that still give life-long Angel fans goosebumps to hear. So where is Darin Erstad now?  He has been the manager of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball team since 2011.

Erstad played for the Angels from 1997 to 2006 playing left and centerfield and later first base.  He finished his pro career playing two season with the Chicago White Sox and one with the Houston Astros before hanging up his spikes after the 2009 season.

Erstad was a member of two AL West championship teams in 2004 and 2005 and of course he was an integral part of the 2002 World Championship team.

Could Darin Erstad come back as the manager of the Angels and help the, recapture the glory that seems to have been lost the past nine years? Maybe.  Angel fans would love to see Erstad back in Angel red rather than the Red of the Cornhuskers.

Erstad was actually a finalist for the Los Angeles Dodgers vacant managerial job after the 2016 season which eventually went to current manager Dave Roberts. Someone else other than the Angels took notice of the qualities that Erstad could potentially bring to the managerial table.

The big question would Erstad buy into Billy Eppler’s data-driven philosophy, or would he be more old school like his former manager Mike Scioscia was.  If this is a possibility don’t be surprised if the Angels interview the three-time Gold Glove winner who also won a Silver Slugger Award in 2000 batting .355 and collecting 240 hits that season both of which were Angels’ single-season records.

Darin Erstad could be just the type of personality the Angels need to lead them back to greatness.

Joe Girardi: The Veteran

By Vincent Page (@VincentPage74)

Joe Girardi is a long shot to be the LA Angels next manager. However, amongst all candidates, he is by far the most accomplished. He is well-known for his anti-facial hair policy (can confirm the Angels have no big bearded players), but is one of the best coaches of the last 15 years.

Girardi won the 2006 Manager of the Year Award in his sole season with the Florida Marlins. That year, he led the team with the lowest payroll in the MLB ($15 million!) to a 78-84 record, and was contending for the Wild Card spot until the final weeks of the season.

Due to a rift with ownership, Girardi was fired after the season. He interviewed for several managerial jobs, but ultimately went unsigned and waited a year later to sign with the New York Yankees. He went on to win the 2009 World Series, and was fired in 2017 despite being one win away from the World Series.

Billy Eppler and Girardi worked closely with each other before Eppler’s move to LA, and there was no reported problems between the two. Given the Yankees record as one of the best teams in the MLB since Girardi’s hiring, it may be the right move for Eppler to reunite with his old running mate.

Girardi has reportedly interviewed with the Reds for their opening, and has been connected with the Orioles and Twins. The Angels would be wise to at least interview the best manager available, even if he isn’t the most progressive.

Brad Ausmus: The Inside Guy

By Ryan Falla (@rmfalla)

Ausmus has been waiting and growing under the wings of Billy Eppler since he joined the Angels as Special Assistant to the GM before the 2018 season. Since then he’s became acclimated with the inter systems and likely the future direction of the Angels given his close proximity to Billy Eppler. That level of connection between GM and Manager will let Ausmus hit the ground running without any major learning curves.

There’s little doubt that Ausmus has spent a lot of this season getting to know the team as well as Epplers personal system he’s created with the Angels organization since Ausmus joined the team back in November of 2017. If there’s anyone who understands the direction of the Angels franchise as much as Eppler it would be Ausmus. I mean, they’re surfing buddies, you can’t really get any closer than that. Billy Eppler has already said that he’s looking mostly internally for Scioscia’s replacement so you can guess that Eppler has some people he’s been eyeing through at least this season if not longer.

Billy Eppler will likely want someone who can foster a strong chemistry amongst the players and Brad Ausmus, with his previous experience and close relationship with the team already, may very well be able to provide that.

Josh Paul: The Darkhorse

By David Rice

One person that should not be overlooked in the Halo’s managerial search is bench coach Josh Paul.

Josh Paul played in the majors for nine seasons with the White Sox, Cubs, Angels, and Rays. He was a catcher throughout his career until retiring in 2007. Paul worked for the Yankees in 2010 first as a Single-A manager in State Island going 34-40.  He then worked as a scout from 2011-2014 for the Yankees.

The Angels hired Paul a bench coach last Winter and Scioscia alluded to the quality job Paul did in his farewell address saying, “The first day I talked to him I said, JP you come into the dugout every day like you’re managing. He took it to the nth degree, trust me.  He was very prepared.”

Although Paul only was with the Angels for one season he has known Angels general manager Billy Eppler when the two worked together for the Yankees from 2010-2014.  Many Angel fans may not remember Paul very well when he was a back-up catcher from 2004-2005. However, he was involved in one of the most infamous plays in Angels playoff history the dropped third strike play in the 2005 ALCS that allowed Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski to reach first in the bottom of the 9th inning and allowed Joe Crede to come up and hit a game-winning double that tied the series at one game apiece.

Paul seems to be a blend of Scioscia and Eppler.  He has some old school traits like Scioscia  and he also appreciates the newer data revolution that Eppler seems to be about.  Will he get a shot to manage is anyone’s guess, but he could be retained as a coach on the new managers’ staff at the very least.  We will see.

Eric Chavez: The Favorite

By Grant Avise (@WestCoastBias87)

Eric Chavez isn’t my personal favorite choice to take over for Mike Scioscia, but he seems to be the favorite choice of the people who make those choices. The 6 time Gold Glove Award winner and 2002 Silver Slugger Award winner would seem be the front-runner to be the Halo’s new skipper. Chavez was hired in 2015 to be a special assistant to General Manager Brian Cashman with the Yankees to the same role under Billy Eppler when he took the GM job for the Angels in the same year after he departed New York for Anaheim.

Chavez left the front office on August 5th, 2018 to take over as manager for the Angels AAA affiliate, Salt Lake City Bees. Chavez who has no coaching experience aside from his month and a half as manager, played 17 seasons in the Majors but more importantly knows how to work with Eppler and what he is looking for in a manager. A source within the Angels organization told Halo Hangout that Chavez as manager seemed to be “all but done” after he unexpectedly took over in Salt Lake.

Eppler has said that he plans to interview more outside candidates than inside. No matter who takes the reigns for the Angels, they are going to have some big shoes to fill in Anaheim.

That concludes the Halo Hangout Roundtable: Manager Edition. What do you think Halo fans? Is one of these guys the next Angels manager? Let us know on Twitter @HaloHangout.