The Los Angeles Angels have fired general manager Perry Minasian and replaced him on an interim basis with former St. Louis Cardinals lead executive John Mozeliak. The club unveiled the moves on Friday evening.
Minasian served as the Angels’ head of baseball operations for five-plus seasons. Over that span, the Angels went 392-500 (.440), never logged a winning season, and never finished better than third in the American League West. This season, the Angels are on pace for their third straight last-place finish in the division.
“Perry has been a valued leader who has worked tirelessly over the last six years to strengthen our baseball operations department,” team president Molly Jolly mentioned in a statement. “I am grateful for his dedication, insight and many contributions to our organization.”
Overall, the Angels have endured 10 straight losing seasons with an 11th almost certainly in the offing. The club hasn’t made the postseason since 2014 and hasn’t won a playoff game or series since 2009. The Angels had Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout from 2018-24 and never once had a winning record, let alone made the postseason. A stunning failure, that is.
This season, the Angels have baseball’s second-worst record at 34-49 under first-year manager Kurt Suzuki — the fifth manager hired by Minasian. Even so, the Angels at present are just 6 1/2 games out of playoff position, which reflects the low bar set by the third AL wild card spot.
Mozeliak, 57, served as general manager and then president of baseball operations for the Cardinals from 2007 through 2025. Over that span, the Cardinals were among the most successful organizations in Major League Baseball, with regular postseason appearances and a World Series title in 2011. Mozeliak stepped down after the 2025 season as the club endured a downturn in the standings. For the Angels, Mozeliak has been brought in as a consultant and will “oversee the day-to-day baseball operations while refining a baseball operations strategy and assisting the organization in its search for a new general manager.”
Before hiring a new GM, Mozeliak has several issues to address. Here are the three most pressing:
Mike Trout’s no-trade clause
Mike Trout
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Over the years, Trout has remained steadfast that he will not waive his full no-trade clause and wants to remain with the Angels. He will turn 35 in August and he’s again on the injured list right now. He’s no longer the player he was in his prime and he’s owed $35.45 million a year from 2027-30. That mentioned, Trout is still very good and would help more than a few contenders.
Minasian’s firing could (and should, but who knows with the Angels) prompt a full-scale rebuild, and Trout may not want to sit through that at this point in his career. He has accomplished just about everything a player could hope to accomplish in the game, other than winning the World Series. It’s worth asking if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause so he can chase a ring now.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Trout’s hometown-ish team, make a world of sense as a landing spot given their need in the outfield and for a middle-of-the-order righty bat. As much as anything, though, this would be about doing right by Trout. If he wants to stay, great. But if he’s open to moving, the Angels should honor his request and get him to a contender.
The trade deadline
Reid Detmers
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The Angels should sell at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Will they sell, and how aggressively would they sell if they do? That remains to be seen. Starters Reid Detmers and José Soriano are both under team control through 2028 and would fetch a significant return at the deadline. Detmers in particular would be in high demand. He ranks fifth among all pitchers with 2.9 WAR.
Beyond Detmers and Soriano, there would be some level of interest in outfielder Jo Adell and relievers Sam Bachman and Chase Silseth, all of whom are under team control through at least 2027. Veteran rentals like Travis d’Arnaud, Jorge Soler, Brent Suter, and Kirby Yates could generate some interest. That’s about all the Angels have to sell unless they put Zach Neto out there.
Some level of sell-off seems likely at the deadline. The question is, do the Angels go all-in on a rebuild and trade Detmers and Soriano (and Neto), or do they just move minor pieces? That’s what Minasian did at the last two trade deadlines and, obviously, it neither put the Angels over the top short-term nor put the organization in a better place long-term.
The 2026 MLB Draft
2026 MLB Mock Draft: Rays take star college catcher at No. 2 as three shortstops go in top four
Mike Axisa
The two-day amateur draft begins Saturday, July 11. It’s only two weeks away. It is not unprecedented to fire the GM so soon before the draft — the Washington Nationals fired GM Mike Rizzo one week before making the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft — but it is definitely uncommon. The Angels hold the No. 12 overall pick in this draft.
On one hand, the scouting personnel remain in place and can run the Angels’ draft. On the other hand, Minasian was mentioned to be more involved in the team’s draft selections than the typical GM, according to The Athletic.
what’s most interesting about the Angels firing Minasian is that I’ve heard that he’s made all (or maybe most) of their draft picks himself, which might be an exaggeration but still would throw their whole draft plan for next month wide open
— Keith Law (@keithlaw.bsky.social) June 26, 2026 at 8:41 PM
The Angels have targeted quick-moving college players in the first round the last few years. An Angels draftee was the first player to reach the big leagues from the 2021 (Silseth), 2022 (Neto), 2023 (Nolan Schanuel), and 2024 (Ryan Johnson) draft classes. Righty Tyler Bremner, the No. 2 pick last year, still has a chance to be the first 2025 draftee to reach MLB.
Will that approach remain and the Angels will rush whoever they take with the No. 12 pick in two weeks to Anaheim? Or will they shift gears and take a more long-term approach and prioritize the best talent even if that player will require a few years in the minors? We will get the answer pretty soon. Draft day is coming.
