5 potential Angels manager candidates coaching in this year's MLB playoffs

The MLB postseason is about to get underway and will do so without the Los Angeles Angels participating for the ninth straight season. The Angels looked like they might've had a chance to make a legitimate run for October but collapsed down the stretch and could lose Shohei Ohtani because of it.

While the Angels might not be playing, Angels personnel will certainly be watching as they conduct another managerial search. The team opted to let go of Phil Nevin and will hire their fourth manager since 2019.

That manager might come from this year's playoffs as there are many intriguing candidates the Angels could consider who are currently working in the postseason.

1) LA Angels manager candidate in the playoffs: Ron Washington

Ron Washington is the most recognizable name on this list by far. He's remembered most for his role in the movie Moneyball but was at one point in time a very successful manager for the Texas Rangers. He made the playoffs three times in eight seasons with the Rangers including winning back-to-back pennants. The Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series in 2011 before David Freese struck.

Washington went 664-611 with the Rangers and was considered one of the best managers in the American League for a while. Washington hasn't gotten another managerial job since, but he's been coaching third base for the Braves since the 2016 season and has done a tremendous job in that role.

The question of whether Washington would even want this job is a very real one. First of all, he's 71 years old. Retirement could be on his mind. Second, this Angels team isn't exactly one set up for success right now, especially if Shohei Ohtani leaves. Third, there's a good chance he'd be micromanaged by Perry Minasian and the Angels front office, limiting what he can actually do as manager.

Washington has the winning background from his Texas days and has played a role in Atlanta's recent dominance. He'd be a very intriguing hire.

2) LA Angels manager candidate in the playoffs: Joe Espada

Joe Espada has been a popular name in managerial searches in recent years, and for good reason. The 48-year-old has been serving as the Astros bench coach since 2018 and has enjoyed tons of success under two terrific managers in A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker.

Espada has been coaching for a while now as he had jobs with both the Marlins and Yankees before joining Houston, and has accomplished just about everything except finally netting that big league managerial gig.

Outside of his work in the majors, Espada has managed in the Puerto Rican league and also coached for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Again, he has loads of experience but just lacks that one MLB job.

This sounds a bit familiar to Phil Nevin who also had a lot of coaching experience before becoming a manager for the first time with the Angels, so I get if fans have reservations about hiring Espada. The success he's had in Houston while learning a lot from two great managers makes him a very intriguing candidate to me. He'd be coming from an organization that preaches analytics in Houston but also has watched a manager who uses his own eyes to make decisions. A mix of both can work quite well.

Eventually Espada will be scooped up and I wouldn't be shocked if the Angels gave him serious consideration.

3) LA Angels manager candidate in the playoffs: Walt Weiss

Another Braves candidate being on this list shouldn't be shocking when taking into consideration how dominant they've been in recent years, and in 2023 particularly. The Braves are pretty clearly the best team in baseball, and you have to assume the coaching staff at least plays a small role in that.

Walt Weiss was hired to serve as the Braves bench coach in 2017. All they've done with him in that role is win six straight division titles and a World Series title in 2021. Manager Brian Snitker deserves a ton of success of course, but having Walt Weiss in his ear certainly hasn't hurt.

Weiss was a manager prior to his bench coaching days and that didn't work out quite as well. Weiss' Rockies had four losing seasons with him at the helm and he had a record of 283-365 as manager. The 59-year-old has since learned a lot from those days clearly and could absolutely get another shot at being a manager at some point.

It should be noted that Weiss did turn down a managerial gig with the Marlins last offseason. That could be because he didn't want to manage, or maybe he just didn't want that team. It'll be interesting to see if he'd accept an interview with the Angels if they reached out.

4) LA Angels manager candidate in the playoffs: Clayton McCullough

The first three names on this list are relatively well-known, but Clayton McCullough is another candidate who is currently in the playoffs that the Angels should consider. McCullough isn't a name many will know as he's just the first base coach for the Dodgers currently, but he was in the running for managerial jobs the last couple of years.

McCullough finished as the runner-up to Matt Quatraro for the Royals job last offseason and was part of the Mets interview process the offseason prior before they wound up hiring Buck Showalter. He has experience in the minors with the Blue Jays and was the minor league field coordinator for the Dodgers before taking on the first base coach role.

McCullough worked a ton with James Outman who gave him credit for his really solid defense in center field and has made an impact on several young players.

The Angels project to have a young roster next season with several rookies from this season going into their second season and first full season. Having the 43-year-old who has the reputation for improving young players makes him a really intriguing fit. The lack of experience coiuld be seen as an issue, but even the good ones have to start somewhere.