The Los Angeles Angels recently made significant changes to their coaching staff, dismissing pitching coach Mike Maddux, assistant pitching coach Darryl Scott and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. The team has since appointed Tim Levesque as interim pitching coach, a move that carries an interesting connection to interim general manager John Mozeliak.
Levesque spent nearly two decades with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, giving him plenty of familiarity with Mozeliak. While Mozeliak stressed that other members of the Angels organization also recommended Levesque for the position, their shared history is certainly noteworthy.
The decision could potentially indicate that Levesque has a future beyond the interim role. If Mozeliak is already making changes before the end of the season, it could be a preview of a larger organizational overhaul once the year concludes, particularly if he ultimately transitions into a president of baseball operations role.
The Angels could also be preparing for a change in the dugout. Manager Kurt Suzuki appeared to be on uncertain footing from the moment he signed a one-year contract, making the question of his potential successor increasingly relevant.
Naturally, some attention turns toward managers with connections to Mozeliak’s Cardinals tenure. However, former St. Louis managers Mike Matheny and Mike Shildt seem unlikely candidates. Matheny was dismissed following poor results, while Shildt’s departure was tied to philosophical differences, making a reunion with Mozeliak difficult to envision.
Albert Pujols, meanwhile, stands out as perhaps the most obvious candidate. He has a strong relationship with Mozeliak from their time together in St. Louis and spent several seasons playing for the Angels, creating a natural connection between the former superstar and the organization.
Still, hiring Pujols would come with considerable risk. Despite his immense playing career and popularity, he has never managed a major league team, making the decision to hand him the reins of a rebuilding Angels club a significant gamble.
John Mozeliak may try to hire more ex-Cardinals coaches for the Angels
There could also be other members of the Cardinals’ coaching or development staff whom Mozeliak has in mind for important roles with the Angels, including the hitting coach position. That makes it worth watching how much influence he ultimately has over the coaching staff and how willing he is to collaborate with the next manager.
Ideally, the incoming manager should have some input on his staff, particularly when it comes to selecting a bench coach and perhaps another trusted assistant. Giving the manager that level of control would help establish that he is leading the team rather than simply carrying out Mozeliak’s instructions.
That’s what makes the recent pitching-coach changes so interesting. The decision to bring in Tim Levesque could be an early indication of the direction Mozeliak wants to take the organization once the offseason arrives.
The Angels’ coaching shakeup may ultimately prove to be more than a midseason adjustment. It could be the first glimpse at how Mozeliak plans to reshape the entire staff moving forward.
