Ron Washington doesn’t think Angels need star additions to contend

Washington says he's not expecting the Angels, who have equaled the franchise record for losses, to sign the type of stars who get $30 million salaries

Sep 26, 2024 - 19:00

Ron Washington doesn’t think Angels need star additions to contend

CHICAGO — Ron Washington has said many times this season that he is convinced the Angels can be contenders as soon as next season, and on Thursday he added that he doesn’t think they need to go big in free agency to do it.

The Angels manager said before Thursday’s game that he’s not anticipating they will add any superstars.

“When I say big-time acquisitions, I’m talking about going out getting a pitcher where we’ve got to give him $30 million or go and get a player where we got to give something like another contract like (Anthony) Rendon or Mike Trout, that’s what I meant by that,” Washington said. “That’s what I meant by that. And I’m not the one that makes that decision, but I can tell you, we’re not going to make acquisitions like that.”

Washington’s disclaimer is worth noting, because the Angels still could go big in free agency if that’s what owner Arte Moreno decides he wants to do. The Angels were coming off a 90-loss season when they signed Rendon to a $245 million deal in December 2019.

General manager Perry Minasian is expected to address the team’s offseason plan with the media next week.

Even if Washington doesn’t see any stars coming to the Angels, he said he believes they can make a dramatic turnaround from what is currently a 63-95 team. The Angels have equaled the franchise record for losses.

“I look at the positives,” Washington said. “Of course, we know we lost 95 games. No one liked that. I certainly don’t like it, because it’s on our record. Nobody want to be a part of a losing situation. You know you would like to be a part of a winning situation… But we were running youth out there, guys that were learning. I think – not think, I know – if we’d have had guys that we depended on to be the guys that get things done around here, we wouldn’t have gotten to this point. But even though we got to this point, there still was a lot of positive learning going on.”

Washington also clarified what he meant by a quote attributed to him in the Los Angeles Times.

“We’re going to get some baseball players who may not be superstars, but they know how to play,” Washington told the Times. “We forgot to bring real baseball players into the organization. Nothing against those guys here, but they’re not big-league baseball players and they certainly can’t help us win a championship.”

On Thursday, Washington said he “misspoke.”

“I didn’t mean it the way it came out, where I’m saying the organization is not giving me big-league players,” he said. “It’s players that have to grow into big-league players. Bottom line.”

Beyond that, Washington wouldn’t be specific on what the Angels need this winter.

“I think you’ve always got to look in every area,” he said. “You’re always going to look at starting pitching. You’re always going to look at the bullpen and you’re always going to look at the players. When we get together this winter, that decision will be made. But for me to sit here right now and say what we are going to have to acquire, I think we just got to wait and evaluate the team and see what’s out there.”

NOTES

First baseman Nolan Schanuel was out of the lineup a day after fouling a ball off his right leg. Schanuel said he’s hoping to play in the final games this weekend. Schanuel has been hit frequently in the legs by foul balls this year, so he said he’s thinking of getting a bigger shin guard. “He might have to wear a catcher’s shin guard,” Washington quipped. “He just makes contact so much and the pitches he’s drilling into himself, most hitters wouldn’t even get to. He’s got to learn to get that head out a little better.” …