Which former Angels player is their best choice for manager?

The Angels hot start to 2025 seems like a lifetime ago. They’ve been scuffling, to put it politely; ranking at or near the bottom in a long list of statistical categories, and looking utterly rudderless, game after game. Perry Minasian has attempted to shrug this off as a slump, but the pervasiveness of failure throughout the entire roster suggests something deeper is going on. Calls are getting louder for something to change, and an obvious place to point the finger is at the coaching.

Ron Washington’s contract ends when this season does, and dreams of an extension are fading fast. Realistically, he may not even make it that far – Joe Maddon was fired during an extended losing streak, but his 2022 record was still 27-29, far closer to .500 than the current team sits.  If, or when, Washington goes, bench coach Ray Montgomery is the most likely interim fix, but several former Angels players are also hovering in the wings. But which of them, if any, would be the best bet?

Albert Pujols is the most recent, and arguably highest profile, name to come up in managerial discussions. He only retired in 2022, but rather than just killing time until his inevitable first ballot election to the Hall of Fame, he’s been managing in the Dominican Republic with significant success. He led Leones del Escogido to both Dominican League and Caribbean Series titles, and will manage his home nation into the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pujols is already signed to a 10-year personal services contract with the Angels, and the fact that he played with the team so recently could be a benefit rather than an impediment. He knows intimately how the organisation works, and where it doesn’t. The only remaining players from the 2021 opening day roster, Pujol’s last with the Halos, are Mike Trout and (sorry to remind you he’s still here) Anthony Rendon, but everyone else knows Pujols by his enormous reputation. Pujols would be a hugely high-profile hire, which Arte Moreno may relish, but the scrutiny that would bring might be the last thing this team needs.

Torii Hunter also already works for the Angels, as a Special Assistant to Minasian. He interviewed for the managerial opening that ultimately went to Ron Washington, and reportedly turned down a subsequent offer to join the Angels coaching staff before agreeing to his current role. Hunter has been active around Spring Training over the last couple of years, working particularly closely with Mike Trout as he moved from centre field to right this season, a move Hunter made himself while he was with the Angels. Undoubtably a leader on the field, Hunter lacks actual coaching experience, but he would be a breath of fresh air, and a definite feel-good story for fans.

As the Angels prepare to make the second pick in the 2025 draft, a former number one may be looking to hear his name called again. Darin Erstad, a core member of the 2002 World Series squad, has a solid coaching record at the college level. In eight seasons as head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he held a .580 winning record and was named Big Ten coach of the year in 2017. He interviewed for the Dodgers before they named Dave Roberts as manager, and his name came up repeatedly during the fading days of Phil Nevin’s tenure in Anaheim. Given that so many current Angels players have made the jump from college baseball to the majors in record time, there’s an intriguing argument for a coach doing the same thing.  

That 2002 team also gives us another possibility whose professional resume is hard to ignore. Benji Gil has been a manager since 2014, first with Tomateros de Culiacán in the Mexican Pacific League, who he took to four championships, and then as the inaugural coach of the Mariachis de Guadalajara in the Mexican Baseball League in 2021. He took that expansion team to the playoffs, and was named Manager of the Year for his efforts. Like Pujols, he’s working towards the next World Baseball Classic, managing Mexico again after taking them to the 2023 semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Japan. He has the deepest CV on this list, but whether the Angels are enticing enough to pry him back from his national team prior to 2026 is a big question.

Finally, two totally speculative names to attempt to recreate the catcher-turned-manager glory days of Mike Scioscia. Bengie Molina, who started every game of the 2002 postseason for the Angels, dipped his toe into the coaching pool with the Cardinals and Rangers from 2012-14.  Since 2016, however, he has been with the Cardinals as a Spanish Language commentator, and his recent lobbying for a coaching job has been on behalf of his brother Yadier (who could form an irresistible coaching dream duo for St Louis, alongside Pujols.) An even longer-shot is Kurt Suzuki, who, like Hunter, is already a Special Advisor to the Angel’s GM. He would be an out-of-nowhere name, but it’s the kind of unexpected move the Angel’s front office might pull. He’s inexperienced, but his demeanour and eye for the game shouldn’t be summarily dismissed.

For now, there’s nothing to suggest that Washington’s job is in immediate jeopardy, or that any former player is an heir apparent. However, whenever that time comes, it’s possible the Angel’s next manager already has his name printed on a game-worn jersey.  

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