Phil Nevin will not return as Angels manager in 2024

ANAHEIM -- The Angels will not be retaining Phil Nevin as manager after declining his option for the 2024 season, the club announced on Monday.

Nevin signed a one-year deal with an option last offseason after he served as the interim manager for 106 games because Joe Maddon was fired in June. Nevin, 52, went 119-149 as manager with the Angels, going 46-60 last season and 73-89 this year. The Angels finished with the exact same record as 2022.

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General manager Perry Minasian, who signed a four-year deal before the 2021 season, is set to host an availability with the media on Tuesday. There could be other changes to the coaching staff as well, but Minasian’s job appears safe.

The Angels will begin their search for a new manager immediately and will be making their fourth managerial hire since 2019. Brad Ausmus served as manager for one season in ‘19 before Maddon was hired in 2020. It’ll be the fifth skipper in seven seasons for the Angels, who previously had stability with Mike Scioscia at the helm from 2000-2018.

Nevin, a Southern California native who grew up in nearby Placentia and attended Cal State Fullerton, was popular with the players because of his personal skills and relatability. But the Angels simply didn’t win enough on his watch.

Nevin released a statement Tuesday night: “I want to take this time to thank Perry and the Moreno family for giving me the opportunity to manage my hometown team. Growing up just down the road from Angel Stadium and being here through my days at Cal State Fullerton, I’ve said it many times, it was a dream job for me and that will never change.

"It pains me that we did not get this done for this city and our great fans but I am incredibly proud of the dedication, effort and cohesion of everyone who was part of my staff and everyone involved in the daily operations of the team.

"I know I leave with this being a better place and a bright future with many great young players.

"I will miss the daily work together but our relationships will last a lifetime.

"This will always be my home and I will always root for the Angels. Go Halos!”

The Angels had high hopes in 2023, especially heading into the last year of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s contract, but they finished with a losing record for a club-record eighth straight season. The Angels remained in contention into late July despite injuries to several key players and added several veterans at the Trade Deadline in an attempt to get to the postseason for the first time since 2014.

But they scuffled in early August and were quickly out of the race. Nevin’s job became harder when the Angels placed and lost several veterans on waivers on Aug. 31, including Matt Moore, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Dominic Leone and Hunter Renfroe.

The Angels mostly played their young players, such as catcher Logan O’Hoppe, shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel, down the stretch to get them ready for next season. Nevin said on Sunday that he still didn’t know if he’d be back but said he believed the outlook for the franchise remained bright because of some of the young talent that debuted this season.

It’s unclear if the Angels will be looking for an experienced manager or if they’d hire from within. Internal candidates would include bench coach Ray Montgomery and infield coach Benji Gil. Minasian is expected to speak about what he’s looking for in a candidate when he addresses the media on Tuesday.