Los Angeles Angels

Los Angeles Angels: Should Mike Scioscia Return Next Season?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Los Angeles Angels are ready to reinvent themselves and become contenders next season. In order to do that, a change in leadership needs to be made.

The Los Angeles Angels general manager Billy Eppler says that Mike Scioscia will be the team’s manager next season. Scioscia has two years left on his contract and has been the Angels manager for 16 seasons. However, this season has shown that maybe the Angels are due for a change.

The Angels fell to 21 games below .500 three different times this season. They are coming off their worst season since 1999. They have one of the worst farm systems in the league, and there’s growing concern about whether or not Mike Trout will remain an Angel in 2020.

Still, Sosh isn’t entirely to blame, even through his disagreements with Jerry Dipoto were widely publicized. Sosh held the team together during this injury-filled season.

However, no one can argue with the fact that the Angels have only made one playoff appearance in the last seven seasons. Most recently, the Angels were swept by the Kansas City Royals after winning the AL West in 2014.

In the postseason, they have yet to put together a team capable of making a run deep. Not all of the Angels’ mishaps are the fault of Sosh. However, this team simply needs a change. A new voice can do a lot of good in a situation such as the Angels. When Robin Ventura stepped down as the White Sox manager, he was reported as saying the players need a new voice.

The Angels have to make a change; since next season is off the books, I suspect the Angels will retain Sosh until his contract expires in 2018. Now, if the Angels are still battling for the fourth place spot in the AL West, Arte Moreno will have to make a change. Still, Sosh’s position within the Angels is safe, perhaps too safe at this point.

The main focus should be getting the Angels back to winning ways. They must challenge for the AL west next season. Anything less than a division title and postseason appearance will be a failure, especially when you have Mike Trout.