Angels’ Phil Nevin Won’t Return As Manager After 2024 Contract Option Declined by LAA

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The Los Angeles Angels will have a new manager in the 2024 campaign.

Los Angeles announced on Monday that Phil Nevin’s contract option for 2024 has been declined.

Sam Blum of The Athletic, who initially broke the news about Nevin, reported the future of general manager Perry Minasian remains unknown.

Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group added that Minasian “appears to be safe, as he is set to hold a press conference tomorrow, a source says,” while ESPN’s Alden González also reported that the general manager was expected to return.

Nonetheless, a major offseason of change is expected for the Angels.

Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to hit free agency and will be the most sought-after and expensive signing in MLB history. The Angels reportedly will entertain trade offers if star outfielder Mike Trout seeks an exit.

“When it’s brought up in the offseason, you’ve obviously got to talk about it, and think about it,” Trout told Fletcher in early September regarding a potential trade elsewhere. “I haven’t thought about it yet. There are going to be some conversations in the winter, for sure. Just to see the direction of everything and what the plan is.”

So a major revamping of the roster seems more possible than ever after nine straight seasons without a postseason appearance and 15 straight years with a playoff series win.

Nevin is the first domino to fall.

The former All-Star player spent the 2022 season as an interim manager after Joe Maddon was fired and took over the full-time gig ahead of the 2023 campaign. In his two seasons, he led the Angels to a 119-149 record, finishing third in the AL West last season and fourth this year.

The Angels stood at a crossroads ahead of the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 1 and decided to make a push for a postseason berth—something they’ve never accomplished in the Ohtani era, a trend they clearly hoped to end in an effort to keep him past this winter—trading for pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo López and hitters C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk.

At the time they were 56-51 and on the fringes of the Wild Card chase. It proved to be an ill-fated decision.

The Angels went 17-38 the rest of the way, both Ohtani and Trout suffered injuries that ended their seasons and Giolito, López, Grichuk, Matt Moore, Dominic Leone and Hunter Renfroe were all placed on waivers.

There were bigger disappointments in the 2023 season, no doubt. Teams like the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and New York Yankees had massive payrolls and failed to reach October baseball.

But if the Angels lose Ohtani in free agency this winter—and potentially trade Trout as well—the 2023 season may be remembered as the organization’s “trading Babe Ruth for cash considerations” moment.

So Nevin, fairly or not, will always be associated with what could eventually be remembered as the worst year in Angels history. And his replacement may be tasked with the unenvious task of sweeping away the ashes and rebuilding the house.