Nevin won't return as Angels manager, team says

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Phil Nevin will not return as manager of the Los Angeles Angels, the team announced Monday.

The move comes a day after the club finished the season at 73-89. The Angels didn’t schedule an end-of-the-season news conference with general manager Perry Minasian immediately after the season finale, raising questions about his future after three unsuccessful years in charge.

Minasian will be available to the media Tuesday, the team said.

In making the official announcement, the Angels said that they have declined their option on Nevin’s contract for 2024. Los Angeles will have its fourth manager in six years since the departure of Mike Scioscia, who held the job for 19 years.

The Angels flirted with playoff contention this season and went into “buyer” mode at the trade deadline. But they quickly faded from the race and placed several of their new additions on waivers.

In the end, Los Angeles finished 17 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West, as well as 17 games off the pace in the wild-card race.

The Angels defeated the Oakland Athletics 7-3 on Sunday to close the season.

“I know it didn’t go the way we wanted, but I’m proud of the way that room held together,” Nevin said Sunday. “It wasn’t fun. It’s not fun ending the way we did, but it’s a great group in there. There’s a lot of great things that are on the horizon here with the young players and the guys coming back. Good future.”

Nevin went 119-149 in his first major league managerial job and missed the postseason in both of his seasons at the helm. He was promoted to Angels manager in June 2022 when Joe Maddon was fired in the middle of a 14-game losing streak.

Nevin, who had joined Maddon’s staff as his third-base coach in November 2021, became the first Orange County native to manage the Angels.

As a former elite infielder who still carries himself like a ballplayer, Nevin appeared to be well-liked by his players. But the Angels didn’t win for him, finishing 46-60 after he took over in 2022 before authoring the franchise’s eighth straight losing record this season.

Nevin became the third MLB manager let go in four days, following Gabe Kapler of the San Francisco Giants and Buck Showalter of the New York Mets.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.