The Los Angeles Angels have hired Phil Nevin as manager for the 2023 season, eliminating his interim title and giving him a one-year agreement Wednesday before the final game of the regular season.
The Angels will miss the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. Nevin was promoted from third-base coach when Joe Maddon was fired in June with the Angels mired in what became a club-record 14-game series of failures.
″It certainly means a lot,” Nevin said. “It wasn’t exactly how I envisioned these things happening, but I know I’ve been given a heck of an opportunity with some special people that I’ve created relationships with now for the last six, seven months.”
Nevin learned he got the job when general manager Perry Minasian connected Tuesday night.
“Called into the principal’s office, and I’ve been on the wrong end of those a lot,” Nevin said. “As he’s telling me, he’s starting to build up, I could sense where he was going.”
Presently, Nevin’s challenge will be to assist with directing the Angels back to winning – – and his players appear to believe he can be the one to make it happen.
“It’s been great. The guys in this clubhouse trust and rely on him,” slugger Mike Trout said after hitting his 40th home run in a 3-2 season-ending loss to the Athletics. “Nev knows the game. He’s worked hard to get here, and it means a lot to him.”
Los Angeles went 46-60 under the 51-year-old Nevin. He made headlines in June when he was suspended for 10 games following a fight against the Mariners in Anaheim when opener Andrew Wantz intentionally threw at Jesse Winker.
Superstar two-way player Shohei Ohtani credited Nevin for pushing the club along.
“I felt like he was kind of thrown into the situation,” Ohtani said through interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. “I felt like he did as well as he could, got us as many wins as possible. I felt like players were with him and gave him all their best.”
Nevin became emotional and teary before the final game against the Athletics, stopping in the dugout prior to communicating his appreciation for the opportunity.
“There’s a lot of special people involved in this,” Nevin said.
Keeping Nevin gives some required security to Los Angeles heading into an offseason of vulnerability with owner Arte Moreno planning to sell the team.
“It’s a great day,” rookie catcher and top prospect Logan O’Hoppe said shortly before first pitch.
Ohtani can become a free agent after the 2023 season, possibly leaving the franchise little time left to benefit from having him and three-time AL MVP Mike Trout on the roster.
“From where we’ve come, I feel like where we’re at right now, you can see the light, if you will,” Nevin said. “A lot of times, when you’re first time given these opportunities, you’re walking into a place — it’s rebuilding, expectations are low for a while, but ours aren’t. I got some of the best players in the world. I know there’s going to be a good support group around them.”
