Perry Minasian Angels Managing Director

ANAHEIM – The Angels have bragged about being a family-owned organization run by owner Arte Moreno, so it’s fitting that their new, hired GM has deep family ties to baseball. After a thorough search that included around 20 applicants, the Angels officially hired the Braves’ assistant general manager Perry Minasian.

ANAHEIM – The Angels have bragged about being a family-run organization run by owner Arte Moreno, so it’s fitting that their new hired GM has deep family ties to baseball.

After a thorough search that included around 20 candidates, the Angels officially hired the Braves’ assistant general manager Perry Minasian to be their general manager on Thursday. Minasian contradicts the trend of clubs to hire Ivy League-trained executives, as he grew up in the game as the son of longtime Rangers manager Zack Minasian and rose through the ranks in various roles in three organizations.

Perry Minasian’s deal, which makes him the 13th general manager in franchise history, lasts four years. He will oversee all aspects of the club’s baseball operations department. It will be officially presented at a press conference with the media on Tuesday.

“After a wide-ranging process, we are delighted to announce Perry as Managing Director,” Moreno said in a statement. “His background in scouting and developing players along with his unique understanding of roster building were the main factors in our decision. We are proud to welcome Perry, his wife, Michelle, and their four children to the Angels family.

Minasian, 40, was one of two finalists to replace Billy Eppler, defeating Mariners assistant general manager Justin Hollander, who previously worked for the Angels for nine years. Angels special assistant Bill Stoneman helped lead the search with Moreno after front office leaders Tony La Russa, Jonathan Strangio and Steve Martone left the organization.

Minasian comes from a unique background, having worked in a variety of roles in baseball, his father being the manager of the Rangers clubhouse for 22 years. The young Minasian got his start in baseball as a batboy and worked as a clubhouse attendant for six years before starting scouting in 2003. His siblings are also involved in the game, as his brother, Calvin , is the club coordinator for the Nationals, and his brother, Zack, is the Giants’ professional scouting director.

“Obviously coming from a baseball family, baseball is in the blood,” Minasian told Angels Radio Network. “And my dad worked in baseball for a long time, and being able to make that call and tell him I’m lucky to have this opportunity was something I’ll never forget. It was one of the best times of my life. “

OFFICIAL: Welcome to #Angels, Perry Minasian! pic.twitter.com/f9ZAu8amWu

– Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) November 12, 2020

Minasian continued to work with the Rangers before joining the Blue Jays organization for a nine-year term that included six seasons as scouting director. He was responsible for writing Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman with the Blue Jays, as well as signing international free agent Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

“I’ve always been intrigued by building the team,” said Minasian. “If I had to describe myself, I would describe myself as a team builder of the on-court and the off-court team. I am proud of it. We were one of those families where at dinner, we messed up. We had lists of 25 men at the time, and that was our dinner conversation. Our mother was disgusted, but that’s what we talked about day in and day out.

Minasian was hired to be the Braves ‘assistant general manager by general manager Alex Anthopoulos ahead of the 2018 season and helped serve as Anthopoulos’ right-hand man. Atlanta has won the National Eastern League in each of Minasian’s three seasons with the organization. The Braves scored a victory before reaching the ’20 World Series’.

Minasian will be tasked with helping the Angels reach the playoffs for the first time since 2014, as they have suffered five consecutive seasons of loss despite superstar Mike Trout on the roster. The Halos have a solid core of star players, including Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani, but Minasian will need to find ways to improve on a pitching staff that has seen its debutants post the second-worst Majors ERA in 2020. The club are not. not looking for a rebuild, so it will be up to Minasian to be aggressive and quickly build a winning team with Trout still in his prime.

“I give a lot of credit to the last two diets of Jerry Dipoto and Billy Eppler – there is a lot of talent on this roster,” Minasian said. “Mike Trout speaks for himself about what he’s been able to accomplish in his career. And there’s a good mix of veterans too. I think we’re talented, and I think there are a few young arms out there that have a chance to improve and make an impact on this club. … The pitch is a top priority. “