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The pros and cons Ron Washington brings to the table as the new Angels manager

By Zachary Rotman |
May 6, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington (37) reacts
May 6, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington (37) reacts / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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For weeks we had no idea what the Los Angeles Angels were going to do at the manager position. The team parted ways with Phil Nevin following another disappointing year and had a massive list of candidates to sift through. The Angels considered experienced managers like Buck Showalter and Ron Roenicke and also considered several inexperienced managers including Angels legends Tim Salmon, Darin Erstad, and Torii Hunter.

Eventually, the Angels settled on Ron Washington to be the team's skipper for the 2024 season. Washington is well known in the baseball world, most notably for his role in the movie Moneyball, his role as the manager of the Rangers, and most recently the third base coach of the Braves.

This is an exciting hire for Angels fans after watching Phil Nevin look overmatched at times while in charge. Washington certainly knows what he's doing, and is sure to be an upgrade over what they had. There's a lot to like about the hire, but there's also one thing that makes it far from a slam dunk.

Ron Washington is a proven manager, beloved by many, and should help the LA Angels defensively a ton

There aren't many figures in baseball more beloved than Ron Washington. "He's everything you could want, he deserves the opportunity," said Braves president of baseball operations and general manager Alex Anthopoulos. "He's excited. Obviously, I'm excited for him. It's a huge loss for us. I emphasize that in caps, bold, italicized, all of it. Huge void. But I had six years with him, and I can't imagine I'll be around a guy like that in my entire career."

Washington being as impactful as he was as a third base coach should have Angels fans excited to see what he can do in a larger role. He helped Atlanta become one of the best defensive teams in baseball, and is sure to have a similar impact for this Angels team that struggled defensively in 2023.

Washington has been through just about everything, and can help guide young players through any situation. He's deserved another shot after leading Texas to back-to-back AL Pennants a little over a decade ago. It'll be exciting to see how things shape up with Washington here.

Ron Washington instantly becomes the oldest manager in baseball and won't bring the LA Angels the long-term stability they've needed

For the short-term it's hard to find much to dislike about this hire. Washington should help the Angels young players exponentially, and brings a much-needed respected face to their dugout. As great as that is, Washington just so happens to be the oldest manager in the game.

The 71-year-old helps in the short-term, but he's not a guy who is going to stick around for too long. Washington signed a two-year deal to join the Halos. It's certainly possible he stays longer than the two years if things go well, but what's the best case scenario here? He's going to want to retire eventually.

In some instances this wouldn't matter, but for the Angels case, they continue to have a lack of stability in the dugout. Washington is the Angels' fifth manager in the last seven years. Ever since Mike Scioscia departed it has been a revolving door in the Angels clubhouse. That's a problem. That kind of unpredictability contributes to the Angels being such an underwhelming organization for the proven managers to join.

A Washington hire would make some sense if the Angels add on a younger presence in another role. Perhaps bringing in one of the former players as a bench coach or a base coach. Someone Washington can help mentor and prepare to take over for when he does call it quits or when the Angels need a new manager. Continuing to have to hire managers every other year is exhausting and not what should be happening.

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