The Los Angeles Angels were preparing to host the Athletics at Angel Stadium Saturday evening, one day after the team fired General Manager Perry Minasian and replaced him on an interim basis with longtime St. Louis Cardinals executive John Mozeliak.
“In this new role, Mozeliak will oversee the day-to-day baseball operations for the Angels while refining a baseball operations strategy and assisting the organization in its search for a new general manager,” the team said in a statement Friday.
Mozeliak, 57, was the Cardinals’ general manager and president of baseball operations from 2007-25, a period that saw the team reach the postseason 10 times and win the World Series in 2011.
Minasian assumed the Angeles GM job after the 2020 season.
“Perry has been a valued leader who worked tirelessly over the last six years to strengthen our baseball operations department,” Angels President Molly Jolly said in a statement. “I am grateful for his dedication, insight and many contributions to our organization.”
The news was announced before the Halos lost to the A’s, 9-3, in the fist game of their weekend series in Anaheim on Friday. Mozeliak and Jolly were expected to meet with reporters before Saturday’s game.
The move comes at an important time in the season, with the MLB Draft taking place on July 11-12 and the trade deadline coming shortly thereafter on Aug. 3.
Entering Saturday’s play, the Angels were mired in last place in the American League West with a 34-49 record. The team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2014.