How the Los Angeles Angels have become the Colorado Rockies of the American League

Mar 25, 2021; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies manger Bud Black and Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon talk before a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. They were coaches on the Angels together from 2000 through 2006. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2021; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Colorado Rockies manger Bud Black and Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon talk before a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. They were coaches on the Angels together from 2000 through 2006. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports /
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Colorado Rockies fans wanted Jeff Bridich fired
Apr 7, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; A fan wears a shirt directed towards Colorado Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich (not pictured) in the eighth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Both the Los Angeles Angels and Colorado Rockies had front office woes over the last decade.

Since 2011, the Los Angeles Angels have gone through four general managers and the Colorado Rockies three. The Angels’ GMs have had a lot of bad signings and none of them have found any pitching (with the exception of Shohei Ohtani). The Rockies GMs (namely Jeff Bridich) have just been PR trainwrecks because of bad moves, bad drafting, and (for Bridich) the belief that he was smarter than everyone else in the room (but he still couldn’t figure out how to win the NL West).

The Rockies did learn how to develop good starting pitchers and the Angels have not so that is a clear difference but, perhaps, the biggest similarity between the two teams is their owners.

Rockies owner Dick Monfort and Angels owner Arte Moreno are both known to be very hands-on owners. Neither has worked out, especially for the Rockies as their front office is littered with people that have been known to be “yes” men in the industry.

The Angels did hire Perry Minasian as their new GM prior to the 2021 season and his hire was widely regarded as a good one. He previously was the assistant GM for the Atlanta Braves.

But this past week, both teams made baffling moves regarding their front office.