3 internal candidates to replace Ron Washington as Angels' full-time manager

Ron Washington's time in baseball or with the Angels is not necessarily over for good, but it sure does feel like it. In perhaps the most depressing baseball-related news, Wash was not deemed healthy enough to manage the Halos for the rest of the year. Perry Minasian was adamant that he was not going to return unless he was 100%, and that stance seems like it will carry over until next year. It will be hard for Wash to sell the team on his, still as of now, undisclosed medical condition being a thing of the past. While the baseball legend has a team option for 2026, the 73-year-old's health needs to be prioritized over staying in the game another year.

3 internal candidates to replace Ron Washington as Angels' full-time manager

Ray Montgomery

The obvious choice for the Angels is removing the interim tag from Montgomery's job title. Minasian has a history of doing this -- he fired Joe Maddon during the middle of the 2022 season, made Phil Nevin the interim manager, then made him the official skipper heading into the 2023 season. Minasian, who used to work in clubhouses for a living, prioritizes a player and coach's makeup over everything and is all about procuring positive vibes in the locker room. If hiring a new manager and potentially losing Montgomery would negatively affect the vibes, then Minasian would probably just stand pat.

It's not like Montgomery is without merit -- he has spent virtually his entire life in baseball as a player, scout and coach. He is viewed as the most organized man in the room, has his stuff together, is fiery and competitive, has great feel and knows the players inside-out.

Perhaps Nevin's lackluster 2023 season and subsequent removal would make Minasian more willing to pursue a non-interim, however. There are certainly plenty of intriguing options: externally, but especially internally.

Torii Hunter

Hunter is one of the most magnanimous personalities in baseball, an icon and has been with the organization for a few years now. Hunter is still on the Hall of Fame ballot, and had a wonderful Angels and MLB career. Angels management and ownership adores Hunter -- his son, Torii Hunter Jr., spent years in the Angels' pipeline (he reached Triple-A) which is a testament to the organization's fondness of the Hunter family and what he means to the franchise.

Hunter would have Mike Trout's stamp of approval for sure, the two were teammates and remain very close to this day. He is on the record as to saying that he wants to manage one day, and is currently a special assistant to Minasian. Well, shouldn't the Angels hire a coach and not a member of the front office? Well, Montgomery was a long-time scout, then a scouting director, then the Angels' director of player personnel before moving into the dugout.

Albert Pujols

The future first ballot, and potentially unanimous (he should be), Hall of Famer might just have the magic touch as a manager. Albert Pujols has already won championships as a major league player, and as a manager in both the Dominican League and Caribbean Series. He is about to be put to the test while managing the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Pujols is adhering to the personal services he owes the team as a part of his original Angels contract. So he, like Hunter, is very familiar with the players in the building. Another merit for Pujols is that he's bilingual -- a manager who is fluent in both English and Spanish can really go a long way in the clubhouse. How about the fact that he learned under the great Tony La Russa as a player?! There's just so much to like about Pujols managing the Angels, especially given how his playing career in Anaheim panned out. Who does not love a redemption arc? He could somewhat redeem himself for not living up to his gargantuan contract by ushering in a new era of Angels baseball as a manager.

Pujols might be getting unfairly evaluated as a skipper because very few Hall of Famers end up become the head coach or manager in any sport. Furthermore, Hall of Famers sometimes cannot coach well because they are telling players to do things how they did it...and only about 0.1% of big leaguers can make moves like Pujols did at the plate.

3 internal candidates to replace Ron Washington as Angels' full-time manager