The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Brad Ausmus Monday after his first season leading the team, which finished the season with a 72-90 record.
“I want to thank Brad for his hard work and dedication to this organization over the last two seasons as both a special assistant and field manager,” Angels General Manager Billy Eppler said in a statement. “He navigated this franchise through one of its most difficult seasons with class and professionalism.”
Ausmus, 50, took over as manager following Mike Scioscia’s departure at the end of the 2018 season. The Angels had a disappointing 2019, a season that was marred by the July death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in a Texas hotel room.
Some media reports have suggested that Joe Maddon, who was fired over the weekend by the Chicago Cubs, could be a top candidate to replace Ausmus. Maddon once served as Angels bench coach under Scioscia.
Ausmus was a catcher for four major league teams from 1993 to 2010. He played in the 1999 All-Star Game and was a three-time Gold Glove recipient.
Ausmus was chosen by the New York Yankees in the 47th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft, the 1,152nd overall selection. He attended Dartmouth College while playing minor league baseball in the Yankees organization.
Ausmus played five seasons in the Yankees organization prior to being selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 1992 expansion draft. He spent 1993 with the Rockies Pacific Coast League affiliate, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, was traded to the San Diego on July 26, 1993 and made his major league debut two days later.
Ausmus managed the Detroit Tigers to a 314-332 record from 2014-17, including the 2014 American League Central Division title. He was an assistant to Eppler in 2018.