Seeking to turn the page, the Los Angeles Angels announced that Phil Nevin will not be returning as manager.
Although Nevin’s contract technically expired after the season, the Angels chose not to offer him a new contract, effectively ending his tenure as the club’s manager after just a year-and-a-half at the helm.
Phil Nevin will not return as Angels manager, per @SamBlum3 pic.twitter.com/59gi3pycC5
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 2, 2023
Nevin, 52, took over as manager midway through the 2022 season following the dismissal of veteran skipper Joe Maddon.
He led the Angels to a 46-60 finish as the interim manager, a performance that earned him a one-year extension and the official manager title.
Despite the initial vote of confidence, Nevin was unable to guide the Angels to their first postseason appearance since 2014.
The decision not to extend his contract comes as part of an offseason of potential change for the franchise, with the expected departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani through free agency looming large.
The Angels will certainly try to keep Ohtani, but the chances of him staying look bleak.
Angels star Mike Trout had recently voiced his support for Nevin getting another full season at the helm, saying: “I love Phil, I love playing for Phil. He takes care of his guys. He wants the best for the team. Not being out there, because I know how much he cares about us, it just sucks.”
Nevin’s departure marks the fourth managerial change for the Angels since the end of the 2018 season.
The team parted ways with long-time manager Mike Scioscia in the winter of 2018, followed by Brad Ausmus after the 2019 season, and most recently, Maddon last summer.
Throughout this tumultuous period, the Angels have failed to achieve even a .500 win-loss record since 2015 and have not made the playoffs since 2014.
Before his tenure with the Angels, Nevin served as a third-base coach with the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees.
He also had a respectable playing career spanning 12 seasons.
Since 2014 the Angels will have had
5 Managers:
Mike Scioscia
Brad Ausmus
Joe Maddon
Phil Nevin
Eventual new hire3 GMs
Jerry Dipoto
Billy Eppler
Perry MinasianThere is ZERO stability in this organization pic.twitter.com/Z1ETfgCNSH
— Jake (@D1SCHER) October 2, 2023
Who do you think the Angels should hire as the new manager?
What do they need to do this offseason?
Do they have ANY hope to keep Ohtani?
If not, should they try to nudge Trout out the door and do a complete rebuild from top to bottom?