Ohtani hit 44 homers in 135 games, before suffering an oblique injury that cost him the final four weeks of the season. Ohtani also led the league with a .412 on-base percentage and he led the majors with a .654 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.066. His batting average was .304.

Ohtani, who is a free agent, is expected to win the AL MVP Award when it’s announced next Thursday.

In 2021, Ohtani also won the MVP and the Silver Slugger.

A vote of MLB managers and coaches decides the Silver Slugger Award winners. Each team is allotted four votes, given to the manager and three coaches of his choice. Votes are based on a combination of offensive statistics including OBP, OPS, OPS+, home runs, hits, RBIs and batting average as well as the managers’ and coaches’ general impressions of a player’s overall offensive value.

Ohtani will receive a three-foot tall Silver Slugger award from Louisville Slugger, fashioned in the shape of a bat. Each trophy bears a custom engraving of the recipient’s name along with the names of the other Silver Slugger winners in that player’s league.

Washington’s response: “It’s incredibly hard.”

Lots of social media memes were repeating that line Wednesday afternoon, and while it’s been noted that the conversation didn’t exactly happen that way, that line is probably an accurate description of what Washington’s going to be getting into in Anaheim.

Everybody in baseball seems thrilled for him and optimistic that his infectious spirit and ability to teach will benefit the Angels, and particularly some of their young middle infielders. He’s 71, and while that will raise some eyebrows, I’m the last person who’s going to rag on someone’s age.

But … it’s still the Angels, still Arte Moreno’s organization, still a chaotic mess in so many ways. I think it’s a Sisyphean task. Brad Ausmus, Joe Maddon and Phil Nevin all tried to push that boulder up the hill only to have it crush them on the way back down. (Plus, not only does GM Perry Minasian not have a president of baseball operations above him to help/guide him, but his assistant GM Alex Tamin left the club earlier this fall. Who knows when, if or how that position will be filled.)

Yeah, incredibly hard is a good description.

Mirjam Swanson: Well said.

Washington has a reputation as a teacher and someone who can really cultivate and develop young talent – which is exciting if you’re into that kind of thing, and likely a sign of what the Angels intend to prioritize going forward, post-Shohei Ohtani. I think it could be good, actually. (What that might mean for Mike Trout, though, I’m not sure…)

It’s heartening to see baseball people all celebrating the hire; from fans to former players, everyone loves Washington. Adding someone like him to the organization ought to give the Angels a lift – but, as you point out, it’s the Angels. And the weight of all their failures tends inevitably to be crushing, as you noted, even for someone with a personality as buoyant as Washington’s. So I don’t have great expectations.

But the guy loves baseball, he’s a lifer, and the Angels’ young players will be better for having played for him – whether that adds up to wins in the short term, well, we’ll see. (I also like that he’s bringing aboard Chili Davis as a hitting coach, because Chili was my favorite player as a kid.)

Jim: If he can bottle and bring with him any of what has made the Braves excellent, who knows what might happen?

Next topic: Should we be thinking of USC as a basketball school? I know, that’s extreme, but the Trojans’ two highly regarded freshmen made their debuts this week in Las Vegas, and both demonstrated they’re ready for the bright lights. Our Luca Evans wrote about Isaiah Collier’s debut the other night against Kansas State, when in Luca’s description he “attacked his first game in cardinal-and-gold without a shred of passivity” en route to an 18-point, six-assist night.

Meanwhile, JuJu Watkins lit up future conference foe Ohio State for 32 points and five assists in her debut, and while I must confess I wasn’t riveted to that game since it was an afternoon game, and I was busy multitasking (writing some, watching some), every time I looked up JuJu was doing something guaranteed to get your attention. USC’s women’s program has had some legends pass through – my all-time list remains Cheryl Miller, Lisa Leslie, Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson, in that order – and it may seem kind of early to say it, but JuJu will be somewhere on that list before she’s through.

And it’s worth noting: USC, under Lindsay Gottlieb, and UCLA, under Cori Close, could be battling for the final women’s basketball championship of the Pac-12 as we know it. The Bruins are awfully good, too, No. 4 in the country coming in, and Lauren Betts – a 6-7 transfer from Stanford, who scored 20 points with seven rebounds and two blocks against Purdue on Monday night – might just be their missing piece. Worth noting: The Bruins and Trojans play each other Jan. 27 at Galen Center and Feb. 24 at Pauley Pavilion.

Mirjam: We might have to play a game of H.O.R.S.E. to see who covers that one!

Because it’s absolutely not premature to say that Watkins is going to wind up among the pantheon of USC women’s basketball greats.

Tarek Fattal encouraged me to get out and watch her play last season at Sierra Canyon, and I’m so glad I did. What a pleasure that was, because she’s one of those great athletes whose presence is just felt in the gym.

I mean, yeah, she was Gatorade National Player of the Year, she’s been hooping with the age group national teams, all that. But you know someone is special when you see the family of a referee, a woman who’s reffed for decades, trying to snap a photo when she and Watkins would be near enough to each other they’d be in the same frame. That’s the kind of potentially generational talent we’re talking about – and at a time when women’s basketball is gaining steam, judging by the historic ratings for last season’s NCAA tournament (including a peak of 12.6 million for the title game).

What makes Watkins’ story more compelling is that she elected to stay home, in L.A., to build something here. That’s especially significant considering NIL implications, that she might have made more playing in a place that’s an established women’s basketball hotbed – a Connecticut or a South Carolina, say. One of those programs that’s on TV more at this point, that’s got a higher profile. I’m really curious to see if Southern California basketball fans catch on to the JuJu Watkins show. I hope they do.

Jim: This may be a sign of the growth of the women’s game: An AP story a couple of days ago reported that the NCAA acknowledged that the officiating in last April’s championship game between Iowa and LSU was “below expectations.” And that was an understatement in the eyes of most of those who were paying attention. This tells me the bar has been raised, and also that the NCAA is finally taking the women’s game seriously.

Maybe the next thing they’ll do is negotiate a TV contract that accurately reflects its interest and popularity, rather than lumping women’s hoops in with all of the Olympic sports when approaching the networks.

Now … Chip Kelly on the hot seat? I really wasn’t expecting this, given the ennui of his first five seasons at the helm of UCLA football. If declining attendance totals and the sort of listlessness of the program didn’t discourage the school from extending his contract, what would? Similarly, I got the impression most Bruin alumni by this point of a season have been resigned to waiting for basketball season to begin.

The curse of raised expectations, perhaps?

Consider this, too: The Bruins, now 6-3 overall and 3-3 in conference, could find themselves assigned to the L.A. Bowl – the Rob Gronkowski Bowl? – as the No. 7 team in what may be the most competitive conference in America, and if so they may set a record. What other team has ever gone to a bowl game that’s closer to campus than their home stadium? It’s 13 miles from Westwood to SoFi Stadium down the 405 – OK, it’s the 405 parking lot, so what’s your point? – and 36.4 miles (according to Google) from campus to the Rose Bowl.

Would they get per diem for that bowl trip?

Mirjam: I don’t think Chip Kelly is going anywhere anytime too soon. Going into the season, they signed him to an extension through the 2027 season – including upping his salary to $6.1 million this year and next. So, ya know…

I get fans having higher expectations following the Bruins’ success last season with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Zach Charbonnet and Jake Bobo (all now in the NFL) leading the team, but if we’re being real, it was hard to know what to expect this season without that experience and that talent – largely because no one knew how good freshman QB Dante Moore would be, or how good Ethan Garbers could be.

And it turns out, they’ve not been good.

But while UCLA’s offense has sputtered all season – their 28.6 points per game rank ninth in the Pac-12, their 240.9 passing yards per game are eighth in the Pac-12 and the offense’s 17 turnovers are 11th in the Pac-12 – its defense is playing historically well under new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn.

The Bruins are on pace to set program records in rush defense (70.4 yards per game, second-best in FBS) and sacks per game (3.8, also No. 2 in FBS).

Ironically, across town, it’s the opposite story. Caleb Williams and the Trojans have remained absolute juggernauts, averaging 45.5 points per game – second best in FBS. But USC’s defense, we all know, has hemorrhaged points – including 52 in last week’s loss to Washington at The Coliseum, the most since Lincoln Riley arrived.

If only the teams could take their best pieces and put it together – who’d beat them?!

Jim: Well, If UCLA’s defense and USC’s offense went against the UCLA offense and USC defense, I’d set the point spread at 51.

“If you’re always rational about every free agent,” the Dodgers president of baseball operations said in 2016, “you will finish third on every free agent.”

If ever there was a winter to get irrational about a free agent, it is this winter with Shohei Ohtani, the most unique player in MLB history, available on the open market.

Attendees at this week’s GM Meetings in Arizona competed to say as little as possible about the Ohtani Sweepstakes, hiding behind MLB’s prohibition against talking about specific free agents and offering repetitive “No comments” and “I don’t knows” to questions about Ohtani’s market, potential payday and landing spot.

Friedman and Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto were both asked a theoretical question about how difficult it is to set a value for a player as unique as Ohtani. Both declined to answer. When asked if that wasn’t something he would have to do in his capacity running a major-league team, Dipoto responded only, “Presumably,” the parade of non-answers continuing unabated.

MLB’s decision-makers and talent evaluators were willing to acknowledge Ohtani’s existence in only one way – he’s really good at baseball.

“He’s a special player. That’s probably the only way to describe him,” Texas Rangers executive vice president and GM Chris Young said.

“He’s just such a unique talent,” Cleveland Guardians GM Mike Chernoff said.

“He’s as fascinating a talent as we’ve all seen in our generation,” Tampa Bay Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said.

“He’s a very good baseball player,” Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said.

“There are 30 teams that would love to have him,” Dipoto said.

Only one team can have him – though MLB might want to consider a rule change that would allow Ohtani to hit for one team and pitch for another (when he takes the mound again sometime in 2025).

The Dodgers are the consensus favorites to sign Ohtani, given that standing by prognosticators in the know – and not. DraftKings Sportsbook has them as prohibitive favorites, -110 with the San Francisco Giants next at +550.

“I mean, I think there are things that are put out there. Sometimes they’re true, sometimes they’re not,” Gomes said of the futures betting on Ohtani’s decision. “We don’t really know how to pick and choose and decipher those things so we just try to have a sound process and be prepared for any possible scenarios that do arise.”

The Dodgers check several boxes expected to be on Ohtani’s wish list as he chooses his next employer.

First of all, they have the financial resources to satisfy the massive asking price, expected to be north of the 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension his presumably soon-to-be former teammate Mike Trout got from the Angels in March 2019.

“I’m not sure where any of that is going to land,” Gomes said uncomfortably when asked about the challenges of mega-contracts. “If we have those conversations, we’ll go down that path. But I think we’ve shown that we’ll play in different areas and go after different players. So when it comes about and however the team shapes up, we’ll be able to handle it.”

The Dodgers have actually not been big spenders in free agency since Friedman took over. They came up short in bids for the likes of Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole and let in-house free agents like Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Yu Darvish and Max Scherzer walk when the bidding for their services went too high.

They have spent to retain players like Mookie Betts (whose 12-year, $365 million contract came after he was acquired from Boston in a February 2020 trade). But their biggest free-agent splurge under Friedman has been Freddie Freeman, who practically fell into their laps for six years and $162 million.

“Our ownership has shown time and time again that we’re going to do things to create as good a team as possible to win this year and moving forward,” Gomes said.

The New York Mets, Yankees, Giants, Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays all have the financial resources as well and varying levels of demonstrated willingness to spend irrationally.

“I think there are a ton of teams that will be interested in these different players and we’ll be right there with those other teams,” Gomes said, still talking in generalities.

The belief is that a primary factor in Ohtani’s ultimate choice will be the opportunity to compete for a championship. For all of their struggles in the postseason, the Dodgers privately puff out their chests, confident no team can offer Ohtani a better chance to win annually for however long his next contract runs.

But that doesn’t take into account the possibility that Ohtani might want to sign with a team that he could lift to the heights – after all, isn’t that part of what lured him to the Angels six years ago?

There is also the possibility that Ohtani might be motivated to sign somewhere where he could be ‘The’ star, not just one of the stars as he would be with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers were also considered one of the favorites to land Ohtani when he first came to MLB. The lack of a DH in the National League at that time scuttled their chances. But now they are positioned to satisfy Ohtani’s two-way brilliance – he can DH for them in 2024 while he rehabs from this year’s elbow surgery then assume a place at the front of their rotation when he’s ready to pitch again. The Dodgers have both state-of-the-art resources to support Ohtani’s rehabilitation and out-of-the-box willingness to accommodate his needs as a two-way player.

“Our goal is to put together the best team that we can,” Friedman said. “Yeah, we definitely have ‘A’ scenarios of how to best get there. It just may not line up for whatever reason, so we have to be prepared to make sure we have a strong enough team to put ourselves in position to legitimately have a real chance of playing in and winning the last game of the season.”

Reminded of his 2016 pronouncement, Friedman was asked if that might require getting irrational about a free agent.

“Defining ‘irrational’ is not necessarily an easy thing to do,” he said.

Ron Washington is an Angel. Bob Melvin is a San Francisco Giant. Stephen Vogt is a Cleveland Guardian. Carlos Mendoza is a New York Met. Even one team that already had a manager decided a change was in order. Within a week after the World Series ended, Craig Counsell was a Chicago Cub and David Ross was a free agent too.

Soon, the attention will shift to the players, and the annual game of musical chairs that reshapes the major league landscape every winter. Here are this offseason’s Top 10 free agents, ranked in order of (approximate) demand.

1. Shohei Ohtani

The two-way superstar won’t throw a pitch in 2024 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. How will that impact the unprecedented contract he is likely to receive?

It’s possible Ohtani will sign a short-term “bridge” contract in the range of two to three years, allowing him to re-enter the market as an actual two-way player a couple of years from now. More likely, Ohtani’s next contract will allow him to opt out after, say, Year 3, or allow the team to re-negotiate the deal in light of his recovery.

For comparison’s sake, outfielder Julio Rodriguez last year signed a contract extension with the Seattle Mariners that could pay him up to $470 million over 18 years, but that deal contains a club option after Year 7 – Rodriguez’s age-28 season.

If Ohtani, 29, is able to opt out of his next contract, whichever team gets him this offseason is not necessarily his last MLB employer. We could be looking at another Ohtani Derby a few years down the road.

2. Cody Bellinger

MLB Trade Rumors, a reliable predictor of salary arbitration winnings, pegged Bellinger’s next contract at a mind-boggling 12 years and $264 million. It wasn’t that long ago that the Angels signed Albert Pujols to a 10-year, $254 million contract; at the time he was one of the best hitters in baseball and a near-lock to make the Hall of Fame.

Bellinger is neither. Yet, in a shallow market for free agent position players, the versatile 28-year-old could be able to cash in at just the right time.

A reunion with the Dodgers seems unlikely, as they never could coax Bellinger’s bat out of its injury-induced slumber, but a reunion with the suddenly gung-ho Cubs could make a ton of sense.

3. Blake Snell

The likely National League Cy Young Award winner is not an archetypal ace. He practically matched a career high in innings pitched (180) and walks per nine innings (five) with the Padres in 2023, neither a traditional hallmark of excellence.

But if you want a left-handed pitcher with electric stuff who can deliver 20 to 30 starts a season – who doesn’t? – the 30-year-old is your man. A team in need of a front-line starter (like the Angels) could do much worse.

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto

At 25 years old, Yamamoto will arrive from Japan as the youngest free agent on the market. He’ll also arrive with question marks around his height. Listed (perhaps generously) at 5-foot-10, Yamamoto must overcome questions about his durability – particularly after pitching more than 684 innings over the last four NPB seasons.

The right-hander also has a 1.57 ERA over that time. Between his recent performance and his age, some teams might have him higher on their want list than Snell.

5. Jordan Montgomery

On the other end of the height spectrum, 6-6 Jordan Montgomery faces an entirely different question: was his dazzling late-season performance for the eventual champion Texas Rangers (4-2, 2.79 in 11 regular-season starts, 3-1, 2.90 in the postseason) the real deal?

Before this season, Montgomery had been a slightly above-league-average starting pitcher with a slightly below-league-average strikeout rate. It will be a gamble for some team, but Montgomery might also be hitting the market at the right time to cash in on his change-of-scenery success.

6. Josh Hader

He already has the best (only?) free agent hype video of the offseason, and has the market cornered on “impact closers available for only the cost of money.”

With 165 saves over seven seasons, Hader has already reached a point when many high-leverage relievers burn out. Yet his 2023 season in San Diego (33 saves, 1.28 ERA in 61 games) was the best of his career. Not many left-handers are better at mixing a 96-mph fastball with a slider, a well-suited mix for a team looking to make a statement – like the Padres a year ago. He’s the rare reliever who can leverage for a long-term deal.

7. Clayton Kershaw

While some viewed his recent shoulder surgery as a tepid endorsement for his major league future, Kershaw could have delayed the procedure or foregone it altogether. By addressing his health early in the offseason, Kershaw made a statement of intent more powerful than his surprise Instagram announcement.

Now, the question is where does he want to pitch – or, more accurately, spend most of 2024 rehabbing: Los Angeles, Camelback Ranch (the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Arizona), or closer to his Dallas home, with the Texas Rangers? Some believe Kershaw’s expected absence improves the Rangers’ chances; the Dodgers would like their franchise icon to retire where his career began.

8. Aaron Nola

Few pitchers have seen their good work go to waste behind a poor defense more than Nola, who is better than his one All-Star appearance and back-of-the-baseball-card stats would suggest.

Start with his durability: he’s averaged 30 starts and 200 innings in every non-pandemic season since 2018. At 30, he’ll be hard-pressed to continue that into the future, but plenty of teams will put stock in his mighty potential outside of Philadelphia.

9. Eduardo Rodriguez

It’s no surprise Rodriguez opted out of his contract after a bounceback season with the Detroit Tigers (13-9, 3.30 ERA) to take advantage of a relatively weak free agent class. Teams who covet a left-hander and lose out on Snell might quickly pivot to the 30-year-old Venezuelan, who blocked a trade to the Dodgers at last season’s trade deadline.

His decision to block the trade raises the possibility that Rodriguez prefers to remain close to the East Coast. Even the Tigers, who seem to be on the upswing after years in the rebuilding desert, could choose to bring Rodriguez back to anchor a relatively young rotation.

10. Matt Chapman

Chapman struggled at the plate (.240, 17 homers, 108 OPS+) in his only season in Toronto, but still managed to win a Gold Glove at third base – still the best selling point for the Orange County native.

An All-Star and MVP candidate with the Oakland A’s from 2017-22, Chapman might prefer to return to the West Coast, where the Giants (among other teams) could use a steady-fielding third baseman.

Adell, who has still not lived up to the potential that once had him considered a top prospect, will be out of options next season. If the Angels don’t have a spot for the outfielder in the majors, he’s likely to be in another organization.

“He knows what’s at stake,” General Manager Perry Minasian said on Wednesday at the GM Meetings. “I’m looking forward to seeing him in the spring.”

Adell has been working out this offseason with longtime major league outfielder Matt Holliday, a six-time All-Star who works for Scott Boras, Adell’s agent.

Adell, 24, hit .207 with a 706 OPS in 17 games last season. He would have gotten an opportunity to play more, but he suffered an oblique injury just after he was recalled to the majors to replace Mike Trout in July.

Defense was considered Adell’s biggest issue a few years ago. He’s improved in the field, but he still has work to do offensively.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed in my career, somebody improve defensively as much as he has over the last three years,” Minasian said. “I think there’s some strides to be made offensively that he knows, that he’s working on as we speak.”

At the moment Adell is likely fourth on the Angels’ outfield depth chart, behind Trout, Taylor Ward and Mickey Moniak.

HOW MANY ARMS?

Minasian made it clear that the Angels will pursue pitching, but he didn’t say how many starters or relievers he feels they need.

The Angels’ top five starting pitchers are Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Tyler Anderson and Chase Silseth.

“You need more than five,” Minasian said. “You need more than six. You need more than 10. The amount of starting pitchers you need to have a productive year is significant. We’re looking to improve that group if we can. The more the merrier.”

As for the bullpen, the Angels have closer Carlos Estévez and then a group of young pitchers who have yet to establish themselves.

“We have some good young arms in the bullpen,” Minasian said. “With that being said, we’ll look to add more.”

NOTES

Boras said Cody Bellinger is open to playing either outfield or first base, but most of the teams pursuing him are interested in him playing center field. He also said he didn’t believe it was in a player’s best interest to bounce around between different positions because of the risk of injury. Bellinger could be a fit for the Angels in the outfield or at first base. …

Boras said he’s in favor of Arte Moreno continuing to own the Angels. “You want people in the game that are invested in it and in my meetings with Arte, he’s very much into it,” Boras said. “He likes it, likes to talk about the game and sit down and talk to you for four or five hours. So as long as you have passionate owners, and these things aren’t assets and you’re not an absentee owner, then I’m very much for those people being in the game.” …

The Angels depleted their farm system with a series of trades aimed at getting them in the playoffs in 2023, but Minasian said he still believes the organization has assets to move this winter. “We have a lot of desirable players,” Minasian said. “That’s something we’ve done over the last few days, talk to teams and see if we match up. … It’s hard. Making trades is hard. But we do have some pieces that people like.”

The Angels on Wednesday hired Washington as their manager, providing another opportunity for the man who last led the Texas Rangers in 2014. Washington had been the Atlanta Braves third base coach for the past six seasons.

Washington, 71, becomes the 20th manager in Angels history after receiving a two-year contract. He replaces Phil Nevin, whose option was declined last month.

Washington will be introduced at a press conference next week. General Manager Perry Minasian is not expected to address the hire until then.

Washington managed the Rangers from 2007-14, which overlapped with Minasian’s final years working in the Rangers baseball operations department.

Minasian said a day earlier that he was looking for a manager who could “command a room,” and draw respect in a way that Bruce Bochy did when helping the Rangers to the World Series title this year.

“There are certain people that have earned different things,” Minasian said at the GM Meetings on Tuesday. “Whether it be through their coaching style, whether it be through their playing style, but when they walk in the room, you know they’re there. When they speak, people listen. That’s something that we’re trying to identify.”

Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Washington definitely fits that bill.

“Off the charts ability to lead,” Anthopoulos said. “That guy walks in a room, it’s over. He’s just got it. He’s so special. I’ve been in baseball since 2000 and I’ve never been around someone like this before.”

Anthopoulos added that the “Angels got a lot better today.”

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi worked with Washington with the Oakland A’s in 2005-06, and he also endorsed the Angels new manager.

“I love Wash,” Zaidi said. “As someone who had a ton of experience in baseball, he kind of always took time to explain his perspective to me and things that I didn’t really have a grasp on.”

Zaidi said Washington’s relationship with “the guy on the bottom of the totem pole in the front office, I think that speaks a lot about his character.”

Washington reportedly already has plans for his staff, including Torii Hunter as first base coach, Eric Young Sr as third base coach, Chili Davis as hitting coach, Clint Hurdle as bench coach and Ryan Goins as infield coach.

The Rangers were 664-611 in Washington’s years, including World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. The Rangers lost both times.

Washington resigned in September 2014, saying in a statement that he wanted to devote his attention to addressing an “off-the-field personal matter.” Washington subsequently said he had been unfaithful to his wife of 42 years.

Washington also failed a test for cocaine while he was managing the Rangers in 2009, subjecting him to more stringent testing thereafter.

News of his failed test broke during spring training in 2010, and Washington admitted making what he said was an isolated mistake.

“Any attempt to try to explain it is going to sound like excuses,” Washington said in 2010. “There is no right way to explain something wrong, and I did wrong. Was it tension? Maybe. Anxiety?”

After leaving the Rangers, Washington returned to the A’s, who had employed him as a coach prior to his time managing the Rangers. Washington was the A’s third base coach, and he was widely credited for helping Marcus Semien make dramatic defensive improvement.

The Atlanta Braves hired Washington as their third base coach in 2017, around the same time Minasian was hired as assistant general manager.

Before beginning his coaching career, Washington spent parts of 10 years as a major league infielder, mostly with the Minnesota Twins. He last played in 1989 with the Houston Astros.

The Angels general manager said he’s looking for a manager with a “presence,” who can “command a room.”

“There are certain people that have earned different things,” Minasian said at the GM Meetings on Tuesday. “Whether it be through their coaching style, whether it be through their playing style, but when they walk in the room, you know they’re there. When they speak, people listen. That’s something that we’re trying to identify.”

Minasian used the example of Bruce Bochy, who took over in his first year as manager of the Texas Rangers and changed the atmosphere.

“You see him walk through the door and what he did for that club doesn’t go unnoticed,” Minasian said. “So we’re looking for that type of presence. It’s going to be hard to find, because (Bochy) is one of the best. But we’re pretty excited with who we’ve talked to.”

Minasian, however, wouldn’t go any farther than that. He would not even identify the number of candidates they have interviewed, or give a specific timeline for when he hoped to make a decision. It could happen this week, or maybe not.

“You’d like to have everything in place as soon as possible,” Minasian said. “With that being said, we want to make the right decision. It’s such an important decision that I don’t take lightly. There’s a certain relationship you have with a manager. It’s almost like a marriage. It’s you and the manager and you go through some good times and you go through some tough times. Seasons are up and down. And you have to have somebody with you that you can have conversations with, that can be honest with you.”

Longtime manager Buck Showalter, who was fired last month as the New York Mets manager, is the most often discussed candidate. He has a relationship with Minasian from their days with the Texas Rangers.

Former major league managers Ron Washington and Ron Roenicke have also been reported as candidates, as well as Angels coaches Ray Montgomery and Benji Gil and former Angels players Darin Erstad and Torii Hunter. The Angels were reportedly set to interview Washington on Tuesday night.

Minasian said that the type of presence he’s seeking doesn’t necessarily include previous major league managing experience.

“It’s nice to have experience in anything to a certain extent, but that’s not the end all, be all,” Minasian said. “We’re trying to find the right person. And I think we’ve seen managers have success that hadn’t managed before.”

WHAT ABOUT OHTANI?

Unsurprisingly, Minasian declined to give any specifics about the Angels’ dealings with Shohei Ohtani, who officially became a free agent last week. Minasian said repeatedly that he would not talk about any negotiations with any player.

“He’s a great player,” Minasian said. “I know that there’s going to be a lot of attention on it and I understand why. Great player. We’ll see how the offseason develops. We’ve got our plan, and we’re going to try and execute that plan and see where everything goes.”

The American League general managers were available to the media on Tuesday and the others were equally careful about making any statements about Ohtani.

Presumably, the Ohtani situation could hold up the offseason for teams because of the amount of money he’s likely to get. Minasian said he didn’t think a wait for Ohtani would cause a problem for the Angels, though.

“You don’t base an offseason on one single player,” Minasian said. “You have to have Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, and so on and so forth. So we’re going to work like we always do. We’re gonna be aggressive. We’re gonna have a lot of conversations and just see where everything goes.”

STAFF CHANGE

After the Angels’ season was derailed by injuries, Minasian said they decided to replace strength and conditioning coaches Matt Tenney and Adam Auer. They are currently looking for their replacements.

Although Minasian said many of the injuries were unavoidable, like utility man Gio Urshela breaking his hip, others might have been preventable.

“We did have a large number of obliques and other things that we feel like there’s a possibility we can address those,” Minasian said. “Maybe warm up a little different, do some things from an activation standpoint before games, do some things after games from a recovery standpoint. Hopefully, we can make some adjustments to see those IL numbers decline.”

NOTES

The Angels still don’t know if they finished above the luxury tax threshold, Minasian said. They placed six players on waivers last August to try to clear enough salary to get under the line, but only five were claimed, leaving them to spend the final month watching every dollar. Minasian said they can still make roster plans without knowing. “I think you have to plan both ways,” he said. …

Minasian said the Angels will welcome back catcher Max Stassi, who is preparing to return to action in 2024 after missing the 2023 season while dealing with his son’s medical challenges. The baby was born three months prematurely in April. “When you have a veteran catcher that can control a pitching staff like he can, that’s huge,” Minasian said. “We were very young there last year.” Rookie Logan O’Hoppe began the season as the starting catcher before he missed four months with an injury. Matt Thaiss and Chad Wallach then handled the duties while O’Hoppe was out. …

Minasian confirmed that pitching coach Matt Wise, hitting coach Marcus Thames and catching coach Drew Butera have all left the organization. Coincidentally, each went to the Chicago White Sox. Minasian said the other coaches have been told that decisions on their roles are “on hold” until they have a manager. …

The Angels brought Dom Chiti back to the organization as one of the minor league pitching coordinators because Minasian said the Angels “needed to change” their minor league pitching program. Minasian said Chiti “has a history of developing young pitching,” including his time with the Atlanta Braves. Minasian said any decisions on the major league pitching program would be made after they have a manager and a new pitching coach.

Ohtani was named a finalist for the American League MVP award on Monday. The other two are Texas Rangers teammates Corey Seager and Marcus Semien.

Voting was completed before the start of the postseason. The winner will be announced next Thursday (Nov. 16).

Ohtani is the heavy favorite to win the award for the second time in three years, but this time the honor will come amid one of the most fascinating free agent stories in years.

The Angels have vowed to try to keep Ohtani, but he is going to be wooed by a handful of other teams willing to pay upwards of $500 million to win the services of the two-way star.

Although Ohtani won’t be able to pitch until 2025 after undergoing elbow surgery, he is expected to be ready as a hitter, coming on the heels of arguably the best offensive season in the majors in 2023.

Ohtani hit .304 with a league-leading 44 home runs and a major league-best OPS of 1.066. He led the AL with a .412 on-base percentage and he led the majors with a .654 slugging percentage.

Ohtani played 135 games before his season was cut short by an oblique injury in September.

His season on the mound had ended because of the injury two weeks earlier, but Ohtani still posted a 3.14 ERA in 132 innings over 23 starts. When Ohtani won the MVP in 2021, he posted a 3.18 ERA in 130⅓ innings.

Seager also missed time with an injury, hitting .327 with 33 homers and a 1.013 OPS in 119 games. Semien played all 162 games, hitting .276 with 29 homers and an .826 OPS.

The Angels have been quietly working behind the scenes while the playoffs were underway for the past month, but with the start of the GM Meetings this week, they can begin more actively tackling a long list of to-do items.

The most important issues, of course, are hiring a manager and beginning the process of trying to retain Shohei Ohtani.

Since the Angels declined the option for Phil Nevin to return as manager, there have been plenty of rumored candidates but the Angels have not confirmed anyone who has been interviewed.

Buck Showalter, who worked with General Manager Perry Minasian when he began his baseball career with the Texas Rangers, has been widely assumed to be one of the top candidates. However, the Angels could have hired him already if he was their No. 1 choice.

Once the Angels have a manager, they’ll have to fill out the coaching staff. Matt Wise has already reportedly left his job as Angels pitching coach to become the bullpen coach for the Chicago White Sox.

As for Ohtani, the Angels made him a qualifying offer of $20.325 million, and Ohtani will reject it. All of that is a formality, having no bearing on the Angels’ chances of signing him.

The Angels have been able to negotiate with Ohtani throughout the season, but beginning Monday at 2 p.m. PT, Ohtani could begin to negotiate with all 30 teams.

If Ohtani’s history is any guide, he could make a relatively quick decision in free agency. When he first came to the major leagues in 2017, he began meeting with teams on a Monday and he picked the Angels on Friday.

He agreed to a $30 million arbitration deal in October 2022, about four months before a typical arbitration deal would be reached.

Certainly, the Angels and the other teams that are pursuing Ohtani would love to have his answer as soon as possible because a salary of $40 million to $50 million per year will have an impact on the rest of the roster.

Beyond the Ohtani question, the Angels need a little of everything.

Their current rotation includes Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Griffin Canning, Chase Silseth and Tyler Anderson. Without Ohtani in the rotation – even if he re-signs, he can’t pitch until 2025 because he had elbow surgery – the Angels could go with a five-man rotation.

Although each of the five has shown promise in the past couple of years, the Angels could use more depth to cover themselves in case of injuries or poor performance.

The top free agent starters are Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, right-handers Aaron Nola, Jordan Montgomery, Marcus Stroman and Sonny Gray and left-hander Blake Snell.

The Angels also need help for a bullpen that is currently just Carlos Estevez, who had a terrible second half, and a cast of unproven young pitchers. Left-hander Josh Hader and right-hander Jordan Hicks are the best relievers available. Typically the free agent reliever market is a crapshoot, with a team just as likely to find quality for $3 million as $10 million.

Among position players, the Angels have a reasonable answer at every position on the field. Like last year, though, they could use some versatility to provide depth wherever they spring a leak. Last year they picked up Brandon Drury and Gio Urshela because both could play multiple positions. This time around, a player like Cody Bellinger or Justin Turner could fit that bill.

STASSI UPDATE

Catcher Max Stassi is preparing to play for the Angels again next year, after missing the entire 2023 season to attend to issues with his newborn son, agent Joel Wolfe said from the GM Meetings on Monday.

Stassi revealed last month that his son Jackson had been dealing with serious health issues ever since he was born three months prematurely in April. Stassi also had a hip issue, so he was on the injured list for most of the season. The Angels eventually placed Stassi on the restricted list in September, an acknowledgement that the family issue was the reason he was unable to play.

Wolfe said that Stassi’s son has now been released from the hospital.

The Angels will pay Loup a $2 million buyout instead of his $7.5 million option. Escobar receives a $500,000 buyout instead of a $9 million option. The New York Mets included the money for Escobar’s buyout when he was traded in June.

Loup, 35, posted a 6.10 ERA in 55 games in 2023, finishing his two-year Angels career with a 4.86 ERA. He signed a two-year, $17 million deal prior to the 2022 season.

Escobar, 34, hit .219 with a .563 OPS in 59 games with the Angels.

The Angels also transferred their nine players on the 60-day injured list back to the 40-man roster, which is now at 38. Free agents Shohei Ohtani, C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Mike Moustakas and Gio Urshela have also been removed from the roster.