Former Mets Manager Buck Showalter Reportedly Interested in Angels Opening

Former New York Mets manager Buck Showalter is aiming to make a quick return to an MLB dugout.

The New York Post's Mike Puma reported Showalter has shown interest in the Los Angeles Angels' vacancy and is "trying hard to get an interview."

Los Angeles declined to pick up Phil Nevin's option for the 2024 season after finishing 73-89 and missing the playoffs for the ninth straight year. Showalter, meannwhile, was let go by the Mets after they lost 87 games and fell well short of their lofty expectations.

Showalter is a four-time Manager of the Year and has 1,727 wins across 22 seasons. As bad as things were for the Mets in 2022, they were only one year removed from winning 101 games under his watch.

The 67-year-old would be a good fit for a veteran-laden team in win-now mode, which may or may not describe the Angels right now.

Despite the presence of Mike Trout, Puma added that managing them "isn't deemed attractive within the industry" and cited general manager Perry Minasian's contract status as one factor.

Minasian has one year left to run on the four-year deal he signed with L.A. in 2020. Were the Angels to change their GM after the 2024 season, it stands to reason a new manager might follow.

Other considerations are working against the Angels in their managerial search.

Shohei Ohtani is entering free agency, and while the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported the Angels will attempt to retain the 2021 American League MVP, he added "most are writing off the incumbent team."

Losing Ohtani could have a massive domino effect for L.A.

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported the organization is "open to trading" Trout if he forces the issue. Even reaching that step is a tacit acknowledgment the 11-time All-Star could decide he's tired of sustained mediocrity.

If the Angels couldn't win with two of the best individual talents in baseball, imagine what a full-scale rebuild would look like.

The ownership situation isn't working in Los Angeles' favor, either.

The Athletic's Sam Blum reported in September the consensus opinion among the 17. current and former team employees he interviewed was that "the organization has not spent at the levels of its competitors in critical areas throughout the franchise, beyond just player payroll."

When Angels owner Arte Moreno said in August 2022 he was exploring a sale, it looked like a new era might be coming in Anaheim within the near future. Instead, Moreno indicated he isn't going anywhere after all, in the process all but guaranteeing the structural issues within the franchise are staying too.

There are only 30 managerial jobs, and far fewer become available in a given offseason. And if you were absolutely sure Trout and Ohtani are sticking around long term, the Angels would be an intriguing option.

But Puma's blunt assessment of Los Angeles underscores the reality of the situation.