With the 2014 regular season winding down, the Los Angeles Angels are in first place and look like one of the favorites to win the World Series. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, and there is a lot of baseball left, but right now the Angels look formidable.
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Even with that being the case, the Los Angeles front office had seen enough earlier this summer to exercise a contract option for general manager Jerry Dipoto and bring him back for the 2015 season. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com reports the following:
"Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto hasn’t really had to worry about his job since the All-Star break. Sometime around early July, owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino informed Dipoto of their decision to pick up his club option for 2015, ensuring that he would return for his fourth season.Dipoto, however, opted to keep the news private “because I’ve wanted our group to focus on what was happening on the field,” he said. “Obviously, I’m very happy to get another crack at it after this year, but I’d rather focus, for the time being, on winning in 2014.”"
On the heals of two disappointing seasons despite headline-grabbing moves to improve the roster, the Angels have finally seen things click in 2014. They have the best record in baseball at 85-55 and are trying to hold off the Oakland Athletics for a division title.
Some of Dipoto’s key moves this season have included trading for third baseman David Freese this off-season and then acquiring relief pitchers Jason Grilli and Huston Street mid-season.
Be sure to stay tuned to FanSided for all of the latest MLB news, grumblings, highlights, and analysis as the 2014 season heads towards the playoff stretch.