Common Angels mistake appears to finally be over with this new front office

For years, the Los Angeles Angels had a pretty predictable approach to the MLB Draft under general manager Perry Mianisan. The team would often draft college players who could be rushed up to the big leagues as soon as possible with their picks in early rounds.

That approach worked sometimes but the results on the field under Minasian’s tenure, i.e. not having a single winning season, shows that a change in strategy probably isn’t the worst idea.

Interim GM John Mozeliak is now in charge after Minasian was fired and he said in a recent interview with Sam Blum of The Athletic that the team is not going to be locked into that same draft strategy. In response to a question about how much autonomy he’d have when it came to the draft and how involved owner Arte Moreno would be, he made it clear that he would have no restrictions.

It was a very refreshing answer. It definitely feels like, based on Mozeliak’s early comments and interviews, that there is not going to be a lot of rigidity in the team’s approach to the draft. Perhaps finally Moreno understands that whatever the team has done hasn’t been working and they need to change course.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Angels are going to draft the next Mike Trout with the No. 12 overall pick. However, at least, it means the team is not locked into this rigid and predictable formula with how it approaches such an important event.

Angels may finally be patient with their prospects

Not only that, but Mozeliak was asked about how the Angels have typically rushed their draft picks up from the minors and he had the following to say: “I definitely think that allowing players to grow at the minor-league level is always to their best benefit. There are times when people make reactionary moves because of certain needs. But if your record is not (at a place) where you’re contending and pushing, it does seem like that might not be the smartest strategy.”

That’s a very nice way of saying the way the Angels did things under Minasian when it came to player development was not very smart. Obviously, he has to be diplomatic but Angels fans know that the team has really hurt a lot of its promising young players by rushing them rather than letting them get better in the minors and promoting them when they’re ready.

It sounds like that approach will finally change as well which fans have to love. Fans have to like the things Mozeliak is saying so far but they won’t believe the change until they actually see it.

The Angels have a chance to show they are going in a new direction with how they choose to draft in a few weeks and then, more importantly, how they develop those players in the years that follow. 

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