Angels turn to Mozeliak to reset front office after Minasian exit
Interim GM John Mozeliak inherits a franchise mired in underachievement and vows structural change to end years of dysfunction.
Interim GM John Mozeliak inherits a franchise mired in underachievement and vows structural change to end years of dysfunction.
The Los Angeles Angels fired Perry Minasian on Friday and named John Mozeliak interim general manager, marking the franchise’s first front-office overhaul since Arte Moreno took control in 2003. Mozeliak, who guided the St. Louis Cardinals to nine playoff berths in 14 seasons as GM, told reporters in a Friday evening press conference that his mandate is to reshape the Angels into a consistent contender, not just a periodic contender.
“We need to build something that lasts,” Mozeliak said. ” The Angels finished 73-89 in 2024, missing the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons under Minasian, whose tenure was marked by high-profile free-agent signings—Ohtani, Syndergaard, Rendon—that underdelivered and by a farm system that Baseball America ranked 28th in MLB entering 2024. Mozeliak inherits a roster carrying $212 million in guaranteed contracts for 2025, including $88 million for Shohei Ohtani, who can opt out after the season.
He inherits a farm that ranked 28th in Baseball America’s 2024 preseason rankings and a scouting department that has not produced a top-100 prospect since 2021. Mozeliak’s Cardinals model emphasizes data-driven player development, internal depth, and measured free-agency spending. The Cardinals made the playoffs in nine of his 14 seasons as GM, including three NLCS appearances, while averaging 88 wins per year.
In Anaheim, Mozeliak will need to reconcile the Angels’ payroll structure—second in MLB in 2025 at $245 million—with a farm that has not produced a single above-average regular since Mike Trout debuted in 2011. The Angels’ 2024 draft class produced no players who reached the majors in 2024, and their international signing class ranked 22nd in MLB in total WAR contributed through 2024. 500 after the All-Star break despite Ohtani’s 46-homer, 95-RBI first half.
Arte Moreno, who bought the team in 2003 and has overseen the franchise’s only two playoff berths (2004, 2009), retained Mozeliak after consulting with MLB’s executive office. ” The Cardinals’ approach under Mozeliak contrasts sharply with the Angels’ recent strategy. While the Angels leaned on splashy free-agent deals to chase immediate contention, the Cardinals built through the draft and international signings, turning those investments into organizational depth.
The Cardinals’ farm system ranked among the top five in MLB for seven straight seasons under Mozeliak, a run that produced core players like Kolten Wong, Michael Wacha, and Harrison Bader. The Angels, meanwhile, have cycled through top prospects like Brandon Marsh and Jeremiah Jackson without translating that talent into MLB impact, a pattern that Mozeliak will aim to reverse by overhauling the player development pipeline. The timing of Mozeliak’s arrival adds pressure.
The Angels’ 2025 payroll is locked into $245 million, the second-highest in baseball, but the roster lacks the complementary pieces to maximize Ohtani’s prime years. If Ohtani opts out, the Angels could face a $88 million sunk cost without a clear path to contention. Mozeliak’s first major test will be deciding whether to retain or trade controllable starting pitchers like Reid Detmers or Andrew Wantz, moves that could free up capital for targeted upgrades elsewhere.
The front-office overhaul, meanwhile, gives Mozeliak a rare window to reshape the scouting and analytics departments, which have lagged behind league standards in recent years. Mozeliak told reporters the Angels must “stop chasing the illusion of quick fixes” and instead build a foundation that can compete annually. Arte Moreno’s public endorsement suggests the owner is willing to tolerate short-term pain for long-term gain, but the franchise’s history of instability—including three GM changes since 2015—raises questions about whether the culture can truly change.
The Cardinals’ success under Mozeliak was rooted in continuity; the Angels must now prove they can replicate that environment without the same institutional stability. What’s next: Mozeliak will begin assembling a front-office staff over the next 30 days, with a focus on analytics, player development, and scouting leadership. The Angels’ first major decision could come before the Winter Meetings: whether to trade for a controllable starting pitcher or retain the rotation as constructed.
The Angels also hold the 28th pick in the 2025 draft and could use it to address pitching depth, a priority Mozeliak has cited repeatedly. Read at NewsAPI.org
The Angels’ front-office reset arrives after two decades of ownership complacency and a decade of roster construction that prioritized star power over sustainable systems. Mozeliak’s Cardinals blueprint—built on internal development, measured spending, and organizational discipline—offers a plausible path to end the Angels’ cycle of boom-and-bust seasons. Success hinges on whether Arte Moreno will cede operational control long enough for Mozeliak to implement a plan without interference, and whether the farm’s decade-long drought in producing MLB-ready talent can finally be broken. The stakes are higher than ever: with Ohtani’s potential opt-out looming, Mozeliak’s window to build a contender around him is narrower than it appears.
NewsAPI.orgmlb.com27 Jun, 22:46en
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