The Los Angeles Angels parted ways with manager Ron Washington on Tuesday, claiming that their decision to do so had nothing to do with his health. Washington took a leave of absence from the team this season to undergo quadruple bypass surgery. While the 73-year-old says he is okay and wants to continue managing, it's understandable if the Angels were a little hesitant.
Anaheim finished with a 72-90 record and wasted another year of Mike Trout's prime, or whatever's left of it. Washington was always a curious hire, given he was the oldest manager in baseball when he was brought in. If the Angels were hoping to revamp after losing Shohei Ohtani, Washington was not the man to oversee such a project.
Still, it's tough to blame Washington for the Angels predicament. They've struggled to find a long-term manager since Mike Scioscia left in 2018 after 19 years as the skipper.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Ron Washington's parting shot at the Angels will raise some eyebrows
Washington was asked why he thought his time with the Angels ended prematurely. Per usual, the veteran skipper was straight to the point, essentially blaming the resources at his disposal for his failure.
“You know, when you’re a competitor, and you’re in charge, none of that stuff comes into play,” Washington said. “Sometimes you’ve got to make chicken salad out of chicken s—.”
He said it, not us. Washington's teams, minus Trout, weren't talented or consistent enough to even warrant the term disappointment. The Angels were expected to perform poorly, and they did exactly that. The Angels ranked 16th in runs per game and 28th in run differential. They were 23rd in team ERA and 30th in strikeouts per game, with an abysmal pitching staff which single-handedly kept them out of games.
“I have to accept that,” said Washington. “I can’t go back to argue with them to try and tell them different when they’ve made a decision. … We were starting to perform better.”
Washington hoped to speak with Angels owner Arte Moreno before he made a decision about the skipper's future, but apparently never got even that.
Arte Moreno should've met with Ron Washington before letting him go
While it's not required for owners to meet with managers prior to letting them go, it's the polite thing to do. However, as is often the case with Moreno, he took the high road and treated those beneath him with utter contempt. What else is new for Moreno, who is routinely listed among the worst owners in all of sports. Instead, Moreno left this decision up to general manager Perry Minasian, who has just a year left on his contract and is on the hot seat himself.
“I think I had the team going in the right direction — I really did,” Washington continued. “And it was just too bad that my health came into play. There’s nothing that I can do about that. It was my team. I think the team took on my personality. We were definitely showing that. In this business, this is the kind of stuff that happens to you. When everything goes not the way people wanted, you take the blame for it. And I’m OK.”
Washington has been, for the most part, nothing but class in his Angels tenure. He deserved the same level of class from Moreno, who instead ghosted him.
Could the Braves make the next move for Ron Washington?
A common question since Washington has been let go is where he'll land. You heard it from the man himself: He isn't done coaching. An easy answer to that question would be the Atlanta Braves. Washington coached the Braves prior to leaving for Anaheim, as he spent many years as their third-base coach and as an anchor in the clubhouse.
Washington would be an excellent addition to the Braves coaching staff, but ideally not as the manager. With Brian Snitker potentially retiring this offseason, Alex Anthopoulos will be tempted to turn to a familiar face. The Braves should search far and wide for a young, proven replacement who will be around for years to come. That is not Washington.
Still, there is definitely a place on the bench for Washington if he so chooses. And after his ordeal with Moreno, no one deserves it more.