It may be the offseason but all eyes are already on 2020.
According to the opening 2020 World Series odds, the Houston Astros (9/4) open as title favorites even after a crushing loss to the Washington Nationals, with the Angels (25/1) not trailing too far behind.
Manager Joe Maddon
Joe Maddon makes his return to the organization he had been with for 31 years. Since leaving he has managed the Rays for 9 seasons (2006-2014) and Chicago Cubs for 5 seasons (2015-2019). He has a managerial record of 1252-1068 and has made the post-season 8 times including the World Series with both the Rays (2008) and Cubs (2016). Maddon helped the Cubs break the 108-year curse in Chicago by leading his team to a Championship.
His contract is reportedly for 3 years and worth between $12-15 million. Maddon expects to remain with the organization beyond his contract as he has said, “I’ve already told Billy (Angels General Manager) I want to work with him for at least five-plus years.”
Bench Coach Mike Gallego
Mike Gallego will be returning for his 2nd year on the big league staff but will be serving as Joe Maddon’s Bench Coach after previously being the Infield/3rd Base Coach. He will be taking Josh Paul’s job, who served as the Angels Bench Coach the previous two seasons under Mike Scioscia (2018) and Brad Ausmus (2019).
Hitting Coach Jeremy Reed
Jeremy Reed will be the Angels Hitting Coach for the 2nd straight season and when the team was healthy they had improved in many offensive categories compared to the 2018 season.
Pitching Coach Mickey Callaway
Mickey Callaway will be joining Joe Maddon’s staff as Pitching Coach after managing the New York Mets the previous two seasons (2018-2019). He will be replacing Doug White, who served as the Pitching Coach for 1 season (2019).
Before Managing the Mets, Callaway was the pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians for 5 seasons (2013-2017). During his time as the Pitching Coach for the Indians, his pitching staff led the American League with a 3.64 ERA. He also played for the Angels in 2002 and 2003 as he pitched in 23 games.
Outfield/First Base Coach Jesus Feliciano
Jesus Feliciano will be returning for his 2nd year on the Angels coaching staff.
Infield/Third Base Coach Brian Butterfield
Brain Butterfield will be joining the Angels as the Infield/Third Base coach and will be coming from the Chicago Cubs. Butterfield has been a Major League coach since 2008 and was most recently the Cubs Third Base coach for the past two seasons.
Assistant Hitting Coach John Mallee
John Mallee is also a newcomer on the Coaching staff as he was with the Philadelphia Phillies last season as he served as the Hitting Coach. He previously coached for Joe Maddon’s Cubs for 3 seasons (2015-2017).
Hitting Instructor Paul Sorrento
Paul Sorrento has been with the big league club for the longest as he was the Assistant Hitting Coach for the Angels in 2016. He has held the role of Assistant Hitting coach or Hitting Instructor ever since.
Catching Coach Jose Molina
Jose Molina will be returning for his 2nd season on the coaching staff as the Catching Coach.
Bullpen Coach Andrew Bailey
Andrew Bailey will be returning for his 3rd season on the coaching staff and 2nd as Bullpen Coach. He served as the Replay Coordinator for the 2018 season and also pitched for the Angels the previous two seasons in 2016 and 2017.
Featured Image: Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times
