3 dream LA Angels manager candidates that feel out of reach

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It's safe to say the Phil Nevin experiment failed for the Los Angeles Angels. He was given the interim manager position after Joe Maddon was fired in 2022, but had that removed prior to the 2023 season. Nevin was put in charge of one of the most important seasons in franchise history with Shohei Ohtani's future in the balance and led the Angels to a 73-win season despite the team making a serious effort to make the postseason.

Nevin was never really qualified for the job and had many more struggles than successes in 2023. The Angels parted ways with their skipper and are once again looking for a new manager. We've seen names like Buck Showalter, Darin Erstad, and Benji Gil linked to the Angels but there're some other managers Angels fans would love to see.

As much as Angels fans would love one of these three to manage the team, it's very unlikely they'll be able to seal the deal because of how unattractive their opening is. Still, it's fun to dream!

1) Craig Counsell

The biggest name of available managers is without a doubt Craig Counsell who is set to become a free agent on November 1. Counsell has had a ton of success with the Brewers and could be looking for a new challenge.

Counsell has spent nine years in Milwaukee, compiling a record of 707=625. After missing the postseason in each of his first three years with the Brewers, he's made the playoffs in four of the last five years. The only year in which his Brewers missed the postseason came in 2022, and they still won 86 games. For context, this Angels team hasn't made the postseason once since before Counsell began managing in 2015. This past season the Brewers won 92 games and the NL Central.

Counsell having the success he's had with such a small market team like the Brewers is remarkable. He has his teams constantly in the mix for a postseason berth, and deserves a ton of credit for that. He's going to look for a lot of money from one of the available openings, and that's where Arte Moreno should try and seal the deal. If he's able to have that kind of success in Milwaukee, it feels like he's capable of having a lot of success for a big spending team like the Angels even if Shohei Ohtani departs.

2) Skip Schumaker

I know, I know. Skip Schumaker is currently the Marlins manager. The chances of them giving him up are certainly not high. That's why we're dreaming, and not projecting.

The Miami Marlins were one of the big surprises of the 2023 season, making the postseason against all odds. Skip Schumaker was a big reason why. Miami had an absurd 33-14 record in one-run games this past season, after being one of the worst teams in baseball in those situations in 2022. Schumaker constantly pushed the right buttons. It's not hard to see the impact he had for that team. It might've been his rookie year as a manager, but he could win the NL Manager of the Year award.

There're a couple of reasons why I have Schumaker on this list of dream candidates. First, he's from Southern California. Is there a chance Schumaker could decide to return home to Orange County where he still resides to this day.

Second, Schumaker was reportedly very upset with Miami's decision to part with General Manager Kim Ng. This makes sense as Ng was the one who hired him, and she also played a huge role in Miami building a roster good enough for Schumaker to lead to October. Schumaker could potentially be upset enough to want to leave. Of course, this doesn't mean Miami will let him go, but it's something the Angels should at least explore.

3) Joe Espada

Joe Espada has been coaching for a long time, having jobs with both the Marlins and Yankees before joining Houston, and has accomplished just about everything except finally netting that big league managerial gig.

He's a name fans constantly hear each and every offseason, but no team has hired him to manage. I believe a big reason for that has to do with Espada eyeing a certain job. The Astros. Espada has been the Astros bench coach since 2018 under two terrific managers in A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker. He's learned a lot, and is clearly more than worthy of a shot.

In addition to his lengthy MLB career, Espada has managed for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC. He's also managed in the Puerto Rican League. He's been all over the map, just lacking that one job.

With Dusty Baker retiring, this is Espada's chance to land that Astros job. I'd be surprised if Espada doesn't wind up being their manager but in the off chance Houston passes, could Espada look elsewhere? Perhaps in the division? I don't think the Angels will land him, but it'd be a great get.

I'd understand some hesitation considering the fact that he lacks MLB managerial experience, but he's done so much around the game and has managerial experience in just about every other level. Every good manager starts somewhere. There's little reason to believe he'll be a bust.

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