Joe Maddon Fired as Angels Manager After 12 Straight Losses

The Los Angeles Angels are making a coaching change, announcing Tuesday that they have fired manager Joe Maddon after 12 straight losses.

Phil Nevin will take over as interim manager.

Though ESPN's Buster Olney reported earlier Tuesday that the Angels had discussed making a managerial change, the final decision came as a surprise to Maddon.

"A little bit. Actually, a lot," Maddon told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal when asked if he was surprised by the move. "You always rely on people in charge to read the tea leaves properly. This time, they did not. You didn’t even have to ask me. You can ask any of the players or coaches. They’re the ones who really know."

He also noted there was "no dissension, no finger-pointing" in the clubhouse.

Maddon was hired as manager of the Angels ahead of the 2020 season. In his two-and-a-half seasons at the helm, he was 130-148 and never led the team to a postseason appearance.

Before joining the Angels, Maddon served as manager of the Chicago Cubs from 2015 to '19, going 471-339 in that span and leading the team to four postseason appearances, including a World Series title in 2016.

The 68-year-old also served as manager of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 to '14, going 754-705 in that span, leading the team to four playoff appearances, including the World Series in 2008, where it fell to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.

While the firing means he will no longer be in charge of the Angels, Maddon made it clear he would still be interested in returning to the dugout in the future.

"Of course. Of course I want to manage," Maddon told Rosenthal when asked if he wants another shot at managing. "I’m really good at it."

The Angels' 12-game losing streak began with a 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on May 25. They have since been swept in series against the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies and are down 1-0 in their current four-game series against the Boston Red Sox following a 1-0 loss on Monday.

L.A. has relied heavily on its All-Stars, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, this season. It was fine at the beginning of the year when they were in peak form and able to carry the rest of the team, but both players have struggled over the course of this losing streak, and the rest of the team hasn't picked up the slack.

In 49 plate appearances over the team's current losing streak, Trout is slashing .114/.204/.205 with one home run and two RBI on just five hits.

Ohtani, who both hits and pitches, is slashing just .180/.333/.385 with two home runs and four RBI on seven hits in 48 plate appearances. The team is also 0-4 in his last four starts dating back to May 11, as he's allowed six home runs and 12 earned runs in 21 innings while striking out 24 and posting a 5.14 ERA.

It's extremely uncharacteristic from both players, though it highlights the remainder of the team's shortcomings and needs for improvement, which it failed to address during the offseason.

The Angels enter Tuesday with a 27-29 record, second in the AL West but 8.5 games behind the Houston Astros for first place. It'll be interesting to see how they respond with Nevin now in charge.