Prior to the Angels‘ 5-2 win against the Athletics, the team introduced interim general manager John Mozeliak. The decision to fire Perry Minasian became public on June 26.
Club president Molly Jolly began the process of bringing Mozeliak in weeks before the news went public. Owner Arte Moreno was not involved.
John Mozeliak Brings 18 Years of Cardinals Experience to Anaheim
Mozeliak, 57, will be the sixth general manager under Moreno. Mozeliak brings plenty of experience, as he was the Cardinals‘ general manager for 18 seasons. He most notably helped St. Louis to 15 straight winning seasons (2008-2022), as well as winning the 2011 World Series.
In her first season as president, Jolly said she believed it was the right time for a change in leadership, and that “change always starts with that first decision.” Beyond the experience Mozeliak brings with him, he’ll bring a fresh perspective to the organization before a pivotal time of the season with the draft and trade deadline approaching.
The short-term goals Mozeliak wants to focus on are preparing the team for the upcoming draft and trade deadline. His future with the team beyond this season is unclear. Still, he has long-term goals for bringing a winning culture back to Anaheim.
“Over the course of the next couple months, I’m going to spend a lot of energy just trying to understand what’s happening down below and work our way up,” Mozeliak said. He went on to talk about how he plans to be more hands-off with the upcoming draft and rely heavily on scouting director Tim McIlvaine.
The Angels Plan to Find a Permanent GM After the Deadline
While Mozeliak hasn’t fully ruled out the possibility of remaining the GM, he has indicated he would prefer not to remain in the role long-term. The plan is to find a permanent general manager after the trade deadline passes.
Prior to the hiring of Kurt Suzuki, the Angels were linked to Albert Pujols. The deal fell through, but Mozeliak’s connection to Pujols from their overlapping Cardinals tenures could revive the conversation.
As of right now, the plan is to keep Suzuki as manager, as well as the rest of the staff and front office, but Mozeliak will reevaluate them as the season comes to a close. Furthermore, the Angels are 37-57 on the season, with 68 games to go.
Change is necessary, and only time will tell if Mozeliak can make that happen.
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