During the bottom half of the third inning in the Angels’ 5-2 victory against the Athletics on Saturday night, interim general manager John Mozeliak appeared on the broadcast and spoke briefly about how he plans to help fix the Angels.
Mozeliak is stepping in as the interim GM after the club fired Perry Minasian on Friday night.
As Mozeliak was being interviewed by Angels play-by-play commentator Wayne Randazzo and color commentator Mark Gubicza during the game, Mozeliak admitted that for the Angels to start winning they need to fix the way they operate, from the major-league level all the way down to the minors.
“The tough part is … being patient,” Mozeliak said. “Because it’s not a light switch, you can’t just automatically become great at scouting and developing players.”
For over the past decade, the Angels have failed to reach the postseason, produce a winning record and have consistently been one of the worst farm systems.
Even while having a roster that boasted three future Hall of Famers — Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani — the Angels have consistently placed in the bottom half of the American League during this stretch.
With Pujols now retired and Ohtani winning back-to-back World Series with the Dodgers in 2024 and 2025, the Angels sit in the basement of the AL West and still have one of the worst farm systems.
“You look at any major-league team you admire, and how they go about it, that’s what you need to have to be successful,” Mozeliak said. “If you know people that … know me, or how I … think about management or leadership, it is about creative autonomy. Letting the people that are supposed to be doing these jobs do it.”
Mozeliak said it is up to the scouting directors to do their jobs and that he will be available to help with the draft. He admitted he hasn’t been out scouting this past spring but understands the evaluation process.
Before the interview concluded, Mozeliak said the Angels need to take a hard look at themselves, including how things are run and how they can improve.
“It’s not to say everything they do is wrong, it’s not to say that there is no chance or opportunity [to win] games. So that’s the patient part,” Mozeliak said. “So, I really look forward to that challenge, getting to know all the people that work here for the Angels, and I know that this is a special place. Therefore, I know I want to get it right.”
