In June, the Los Angeles Angels’ season is in disarray once more, to the extent that general manager Perry Minasian was just relieved of his front office responsibilities. It simply hasn’t been the team’s year—or decade, for that matter—and, regrettably, Minasian was singled out as a culprit. To be honest, Angels supporters won’t miss him.
But more people than simply fans are aware of what’s happening in Anaheim. It should come as no surprise that the Halos received the fifth-highest number of votes for “teams with a bad reputation amongst players” in the Athletic’s annual survey asking players to rank the league’s best and worst teams.
Their business? The Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Athletics. That’s four budget-conscious, small-market teams, two of whom have had historically poor seasons in recent years. To say that the situation is grave would be an understatement.
However, it goes beyond the general consensus. A few remarks about the current situation of this franchise were provided, and they are clearly stunning.
Angels hammered by players, who correctly identify their developmental missteps
One pitcher who wished to remain anonymous stated of the Angels, “They have no idea how to make anyone better at anything.” And that comes from men who were employed there. They are unaware of what is happening.
Then, let us know how you truly feel. In actuality, this pitcher’s evaluation of the team is spot-on; consider how awful the farm system has been for a long time despite a postseason drought that will shortly reach 12 seasons. The scouting is terrible, and the Angels’ practice of pushing elite prospects through the minor leagues usually has more negative long-term effects than positive ones for a young squad.
How many true homegrown stars have the Angels had before Mike Trout came to prominence? The only clear contender is Zach Neto. While Reid Detmers, Jo Adell, Nolan Schanuel, and even rookie Walbert Ureña have had their moments, most players in this franchise’s recent history—aside from Trout and Shohei Ohtani, who was already a near-finished product when he came over from Japan—have failed to achieve prolonged success.
The players also mentioned other shortcomings in addition to those coaching and developmental issues. Some criticized Arte Moreno’s lack of desire to win, while others questioned the roster’s management. Naturally, none of this is new to us, but hearing the league’s players state it aloud serves as a reminder of how far the Angels still need to go.
