ANAHEIM, Calif. — (AP) — Ron Washington will not return for a third season as the manager of the Los Angeles Angels, the team announced Tuesday.
Washington missed roughly half of the current season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. The Angels said they will hire a new manager for 2026, which means interim manager Ray Montgomery also won't get the job.
The 73-year-old Washington was the oldest manager in the majors during his two seasons with the Angels, who hired him in November 2023. Los Angeles had the worst season in franchise history in 2024, going 63-99 after the free-agency departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.
The Angels went 72-90 this season and finished last in the AL West for the second straight season under Washington and Montgomery, the bench coach who stepped up in late June after Washington was sidelined by his health issues. Washington was back around the Angels in uniform at the close of the season, but he didn't resume managerial duties.
Angels general manager Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno made no public comment about the decision, but Washington told The Athletic that Minasian claimed they made the move because of the team's performance, not his health.
“I have to accept that,” Washington told The Athletic. “I can’t go back to argue with them to try and tell them different when they’ve made a decision. … We were starting to perform better.”
Minasian didn't respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The GM is under contract through next season, which will be his sixth in charge of the losing club.
Washington repeatedly said he hoped to return as manager next season, but Moreno has decided to make yet another change to a struggling franchise that has endured 10 consecutive losing seasons and 11 straight non-playoff seasons — both the longest active streaks in the majors.
Washington had success during his tenure as the Texas Rangers' manager from 2007-14, reaching two World Series while making three playoff appearances and posting five straight winning seasons. He moved on to coaching roles in Oakland and Atlanta, and he won a World Series ring with the Braves in 2021.
But he couldn't save the long-inept Angels despite remaining popular with his players and Orange County fans.
The Halos will have their fifth full-time manager in eight seasons since the departure of Mike Scioscia, who managed the club for 19 years and won its only World Series title in 2002.
After years of free spending on veteran players by Moreno, the Angels have built the start of a young core with shortstop Zach Neto, catcher Logan O'Hoppe, outfielder Jo Adell and first baseman Nolan Schanuel. That rising talent hasn't led to a significant improvement in the standings.
The Angels also paid $38.5 million this season to third baseman Anthony Rendon, who didn't play in 2025 due to a lingering hip injury. Rendon, who hasn't played more than 58 games in any of his six seasons with Los Angeles after Moreno signed him in late 2019, still has one year left on one of the most disastrous free-agent contracts in major league history.
Four MLB teams have moved on from their managers since the regular season ended Sunday. San Francisco fired Bob Melvin and Minnesota fired Rocco Baldelli on Monday before Bruce Bochy and the Texas Rangers mutually decided Bochy won't return to the dugout.
Washington and the 70-year-old Bochy were the two oldest managers in the majors.
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