Brad Ausmus Named Angels Manager to Replace Mike Scioscia

The Las Angeles Angels hired longtime MLB catcher Brad Ausmus as their new manager on Sunday, the team announced. 

Ausmus spent 18 years in the major leagues during a nomadic career that featured stops with the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers as well as two stints apiece with the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. He won three Gold Glove Awards and earned an All-Star Game appearance in 1999.

The 49-year-old Connecticut native was named the Tigers' manager in November 2013 following the retirement of Jim Leyland.

Ausmus led Detroit to a 90-72 record and a playoff appearance during his first season at the helm. They were swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the Divisional Series, however, and failed to make it back to the postseason across his final three years in charge.

The Tigers finished Ausmus' tenure with a 314-332 record in four years.

"Yeah, I would like to manage again. It's something I enjoy doing," he told reporters in September 2017 about his exit. "It wasn't for lack of effort, we just didn't perform on the field. And the fact that we didn't win, I'll shoulder that. I'm the manager, I'm the leader. I'll take the blame."

He proceeded to join the Angels as a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler for 2018.

Ultimately, Ausmus is getting the second opportunity to manage he wanted with the Angels, but he'll need to produce more consistent results than he did in Detroit to keep the position for the long haul.

He'll inherit a L.A. roster led by MLB gold standard Mike Trout as well as Justin Upton and Shohei Ohtani—and likely be expected to deliver a postseason berth in 2019.