The Los Angeles Angels announced that general manager Perry Minasian has been relieved of his duties, and that John Mozeliak has been named interim general manager of the club.
Minassian’s departure was announced through a press release from Angels team president Molly Jolly.
“Perry has been an important leader who has worked tirelessly over the past six years to strengthen our baseball operations department,” Jolly said via an Angels press release. “I am grateful for his dedication, insight and many contributions to our organization.”
Minassian, 46, was named the club’s general manager in November 2020. During that time, he was tasked with overhauling the Angels.
He inherited Joe Maddon as his manager, Shohei Ohtani, a premiership Mike Trout, and one of the worst farm systems in baseball.
Minassian’s tenure as general manager of the Angels oversaw several losing seasons and five different managers leading the club.
The Angels have failed to reach the postseason, a drought dating back to 2014, and have failed to finish the season above .500, another drought dating back to 2015.
In 2021 the club finished 77-85. Since then, it has been on a steady decline. In 2023, the team was having its best season under Minassian, going 52-49 when the trade deadline came. The team would go on to win 21 of their next 61 games and finish the season fourth in the American League West with a 73-89 record.
In 2023, the Angels had the opportunity to trade Ohtani, with multiple teams expressing interest in trading for him, but Angels owner Arte Moreno insisted the club kept him because they hoped they could sign him in free agency.
Because Minasian was tasked with overhauling the Angels’ farm system and making the team competitive quickly, he became known for drafting players who were on the verge of being MLB-ready during the draft, notably Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel. [Who made his MLB Debut the same year he was drafted]Sam Bachman and Christian Moore.
In his first year as general manager, he also had the infamous 2021 MLB Draft, where he selected 20 pitchers because the Angels were in desperate need of starting pitching. Only Bachmann remained with the club in this category.
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Mozeliak will join the Angels after a 30-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Louis Cardinals.
During his time in St. Louis, he spent the last 18 years leading the team’s baseball operations. During his leadership, he helped the team reach the postseason 10 times, won six National League Central titles, won the National League pennant twice, and helped the team win the World Series in 2011.
“John is one of the most accomplished and respected executives in baseball, with a proven track record of building a winning organization,” Jolly said in a news release.
“Over three decades, he has built one of baseball’s most respected organizations, combining strong leadership with a commitment to player development and organizational excellence. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Angels and look forward to benefiting from his experience and perspective as we continue to shape the future of our organization.”