Braves assistant general manager Perry Minasian was hired as the Angels' new GM, the franchise announced Thursday.
The Angels reportedly interviewed as many as 20 candidates. Minasian was among five finalists and emerged as a front-runner Wednesday evening, according to multiple reports.
Minasian, 40, has been with the Braves since 2017. He previously was with the Blue Jays (2009-17), where he also worked with current Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, and the Rangers (2003-09). Minasian’s father was a long-time Rangers employee, and Perry Minasian was a bat boy with the team in his youth.
The Braves actually hired Minasian before hiring Anthopoulos, but the latter promoted Minasian to assistant GM and vice president of baseball operations. Minasian has been Anthopoulos' right-hand man, helping build the Braves into a perennial contender over the past few seasons.
Minasian has an extensive scouting background and replaces Billy Eppler as the Angels' GM. He’ll be tasked with building a contender around outfielder Mike Trout, the consensus best player in baseball who’s 29 years old yet hasn’t experienced a single postseason game victory and has made one postseason appearance (a three-game sweep).
The Angels boast heavy pockets and have a talented core in place – including lineup staples Trout, Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher – but their pitching woes and injuries have derailed them throughout Trout’s prime years. Minasian will be walking into an all-in situation under owner Arte Moreno.
While it’s a tremendous opportunity for Minasian, it is a loss for the Braves' front office. Minasian is a brilliant baseball mind and highly respected across the industry. The Braves' recent surge of success – three consecutive division titles, a National League Championship Series appearance and a roster seemingly set to contend for at least five years – was assuredly going to make their assistant executives and coaches appealing to other organizations
