Angels' sudden manager search makes these 3 candidates more appealing

It took the Los Angeles Angels a while to make their decision, but they finally announced that Kurt Suzuki's contract option was not going to be picked up, officially starting the search for their next manager.

The Angels find themselves at an interesting crossroads in their franchise. They are coming off their first 100-loss season as a franchise, but had a few young players who looked like bright spots. There is also a new owner set to take over, who will be the richest in MLB. Expectations are that he will raise the payroll significantly.

The next manager is going to need to have a variety of skills. Not only will he need to be the lead man in the clubhouse for a rebuild, but he will also need to be able to handle high-priced free-agent acquisitions. What available candidates could be the right man for the job?

Angels' sudden manager search makes these 3 candidates more appealing

Tony Mansolino

The Braves bench coach could be the man for the job. The So. Cal. native worked his way up the coaching ranks in the Guardians organization before making his MLB coaching debut as their 3rd base coach in 2020. He joined the Orioles in 2021 as their third base coach, then in 2025 became their interim manager for 119 games. He joined the Braves last offseason as their bench coach.

Mansolino will bring experience with player development working in the minors. He has experience managing a ball club, even if it was in an interim capacity. Most recently, he has experience with an organization that has those star players and went to the playoffs. It's a perfect mix of what the Angels should be looking for this offseason, and being a So. Cal. guy might help to bring him to L.A.

Brandon Hyde

Hyde was the manager fired to allow Mansolino to take over in Baltimore, but his track record should stand over that. Hyde managed Baltimore through its lengthy rebuild and eventually got them to a 100-win season. He won AL Manager of the Year in 2023 for that 100-win season, and also got them to the playoffs in '23 and '24. He spent the 2026 season as a Senior Advisor to the front office in Tampa, showing him how a high-functioning organization runs. His wealth of experience with a rebuild would be very useful.

Rocco Baldelli

Baldelli was also a very successful manager in his time with Minnesota. He was fired after the 2025 season and spent 2026 working as a special assistant in the Dodgers' front office. Baldelli played in MLB with the Rays and Red Sox from 2003 to 2010. He was hired as the Twins manager in 2019 and brought the Twins to a 100-win season that year, earning him AL Manager of the Year.

Baldelli had multiple successful seasons with the Twins. He dealt with different star players, but also helped nurture young talent. A year with the Dodgers can only be helpful, too.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow