The Los Angeles Angels have decided to shake up their front office. After having an American League-worst 34-48 record, they decided to fire Perry Minasin as the general manager. He had spent the last six seasons as the Angels’ decision-maker and had never posted a record above .500. Their most wins in a season were 77 in 2021. They also set a franchise record of 99 losses under Minasin’s watch in 2023. It had become clear that he was not the right man for the job.
While firing Minasin was the right move, his interim replacement might be one of the worst they could make. They are bringing in former St. Louis Cardinals GM John Mozeliak as a consultant to the President of Baseball Operations. He will oversee the day-to-day baseball activities for the rest of the season and play a key role in finding the next GM and shaping the team’s strategy. Although the Angels need a major strategy change and a different philosophy, Mozeliak is not the guy for the job.
John Mozeliak Will Not Make the Angels Better
At first glance, Mozeliak seems like the perfect candidate to try to fix the Angels. He has a very impressive resume over his 18 years as the Cardinals’ general manager. He made 10 playoff appearances and won the NL Central six times. They made two trips to the World Series, winning it all in 2011. The Angels have never come close to achieving success like that in their history. The hope is that Mozeliak can bring what worked for the Cardinals to Anaheim.
But the problem is how Mozeliak’s tenure ended with the Cardinals. Starting in 2023, the Cardinals began to decline dramatically. That season, they entered with expectations of making the postseason, but they bottomed out and finished 71-91. They rebounded a little in 2024 but still missed the playoffs, then put together an abysmal 2025 that saw them go 78-84. These were the only losing seasons the Cardinals experienced under Mozeliak’s helm.
The way Mozeliak’s tenure ended gives off the vibe that the game has passed him by. That the way he did things for 20 years no longer works. This is supported by the fact that since he left, the Cardinals have played better. In Chaim Bloom’s first season, the Cardinals have set expectations and are currently 42-36, sitting in the last wild-card spot in the National League. Mozeliak could be setting the Angels up with an outdated strategy, setting the franchise back even further.
Another reason why the Angels brought in Mozeliak is his connection with Albert Pujols. He is expected to be one of the hottest managerial candidates, and the Angels are expected to be part of that sweepstakes. They feel that having Mozeliak in the organization can help their case to land him. However, this is a very risky gamble. If Pujlos decides to go somewhere else, then bringing in Mozeliak would seem pointless. It feels like he failed at the main thing he was brought in for.
Although the Angels need a shake-up, Mozeliak is not the guy to do it. He is past his prime and will only hurt the Angels, making them a worse team.
