Torii Hunter's recent comments will have Angels' fans connecting the dots

Ever since the Los Angeles Angels gave new manager Kurt Suzuki a one-year contract, there’s been speculation about who could replace him. Angels fans can probably connect the dots that Torii Hunter is next in line if the Angels do indeed decide to move on from Suzuki after one season, which seems like a distinct possibility.

Hunter appeared on Halo Territory recently and talked about how he interviewed for the managerial opening with the Angels in the offseason and said that he had a good conversation with president of baseball operations, Perry Minasian, but nothing came together. 

Hunter interviewed for the job the year prior as well, so it seems like he is knocking on the door, but it just has not materialized yet.

Angels fans have to be hoping Hunter takes over if 2026 is a bust 

The former Angels outfielder is still in the organization, so he isn’t far and says that he still watches the team regularly. It may be a stretch to say that he is groomed to take over as manager, but it certainly would not be a shock to anyone if he were next in line should this season not go so well under Suzuki.

Hunter played for the Angels from 2008 to 2012 and had some really solid seasons for the Halos. He was an All-Star twice in those five seasons and slashed .286/.352/.462 with 105 home runs and 432 runs batted in across that span. He had a great career, and while he may not make it into the Hall of Fame, having a player of Hunter's caliber as manager would be impressive.

Unsurprisingly, Hunter made it clear that he would be more of an old-school manager. In the same clip where he talks about his interview he talked about the sort of manager he would be and he talked about he would really focus on the fundamentals of the game as a skipper and work on the two-strike approach while deriding launch angles and saying how four or five years ago the game became tough for him to watch as the emphasis got away from fundamentals.

That will certainly please the ears of Angels fans who don’t love the modern game or an over-reliance on analytics. Perhaps it is that old school mindset that has kept Hunter from getting the job that Minasian fears he would not be willing to make decisions based on analytics.

It may feel premature to think about Suzuki’s replacement already, and it is to a certain extent. He deserves a chance to prove himself, and the team is off to a decent start at 6-5, so if he outperforms expectations with this group, then it would not be a surprise to see him back.

But, if things do take a turn in the wrong direction then Hunter is right there to take his place if need be.