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Jerry Dipoto split with the Angels at the beginning of July after a failed ultimatum backfired on him. Reportedly, friction between general manager Dipoto and field manager Mike Scioscia got to the point where Dipoto felt the need to call it out to owner Arte Moreno, and given Dipoto left, Moreno sided with his manager. Since then, former Angels GM Bill Stoneman has served as the team’s interim GM, and two months later they’ve begun the search for Scioscia’s new subordinate. Hey, someone has to get Scioscia’s coffee.
So far, only internal candidates have been interviewed, with assistant general managers Matt Klentak and Scott Servais getting their opportunities. There will be external candidates, too, though, given Moreno’s supposed free agent meddling over the years combined with Scioscia’s rift with the last GM, it will be curious to see what the quality of those external candidates are. Will it have to be someone new to the position entirely, someone who will take whatever GM job comes their way, or will veteran candidates be open to working there, thinking they can reach Moreno and Scioscia in a way Dipoto could not?
The thing is, even though whoever the new GM is would have to put up with those two, they would also have Mike Trout. No one else has Mike Trout, you know, and anyone even remotely close in ability -- say, Bryce Harper -- isn’t under contract for more than a few more seasons. Trout, though, gets to be the centerpiece, the building block through 2020, and he’ll still only be 29 years old when that deal is up. That has to be tempting for just about anyone, Scioscia and Moreno meddling or no.
- The Red Sox have also begun their GM search, and while external candidates were getting all the attention, current assistant GM Mike Hazen might end up being the next general manager.
- Jake Arrieta was a huge disappointment with the Orioles and now an ace with the Cubs. These are the dos and don'ts to analyzing how he got here and what he is.
- The Twins shed manager Ron Gardenhire and their culture of losing by playing the kids they seemed to avoid for years.
- Shane Victorino crashed into the wall in Oakland's O.co Coliseum, and he broke it. Be respectful of other team's property, Shanf!
- Shoeless Joe Jackson's supporters petitioned for his reinstatement under new commissioner Rob Manfred, but his answer is reportedly "no" as MLB's answer has been for years.
- No one else in the league is Mike Trout, but Kevin Kiermaier made a Trout-like catch at the wall in center field.
- The Giants added some outfield depth and Hunter Pence insurance by acquiring Alejandro De Aza from the Red Sox on Monday.
- Cardinals' rookie Stephen Piscotty has been hitting surprisingly well, especially in the power department. Some changes to his swing might be the cause.
- Rookie of the Year winners are sometimes future stars, sometimes role players, sometimes forgotten about as quickly as they arrived on the scene. Jason Wojciechowski took a look at the strangest pairings of Rookie of the Year winners in history.
- The Royals are likely headed to the postseason, which made them a perfect candidate to acquire Jonny Gomes' rampant playoff enthusiasm.
- Prospect fans will be thrilled to hear that the Dodgers promoted Julio Urias, who just turned 19 last month, to Triple-A. He pitched a single inning in his debut, striking out two but he walked four. Given his 2.77 ERA at Double-A, he'll likely figure things out in a hurry.
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