DYSFUNCTION: Angels’ One-Year Kurt Suzuki Deal EXPOSES Front Office | Is Arte Moreno to Blame?

DYSFUNCTION: Angels’ One-Year Kurt Suzuki Deal EXPOSES Front Office | Is Arte Moreno to Blame?

The Angels proved that they really aren’t thinking that far ahead and they proved it with that Curt Suzuki contract. You are Locked On Angels, your daily Los Angeles Angels podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Thanks for making Locked on Angels your first listen of the day. Kurt Suzuki spoke with the media yesterday and because he did that, we got to hear what he had to say. And one of the big things that was a takeaway from that conversation was he got a one-year deal. Of course, we’re going to discuss that. Perry also spoke alongside Curt Suzuki and his opening line was really telling. And then there’s of course a lot of conversation that happened and we’re going to dissect all of it on today’s show. But before we do that, we want to thank our sponsor FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet $5. And if you bet wins, you can get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Download the FanDuel app today. Thanks for being here for this episode of Lockdown Angels, where it’s your team every day. You’ve got the Fresh Brothers here with you, aka the Super Halo Bros. My name is John and that’s my brother Mike and my name is Mike and that’s my brother John. Hey, we’ve been talking Angels Baseball with you here on Locked on Angels for the last four years. We’re talking Angels Baseball Monday through Friday. Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts or on YouTube or wherever you like to to tune in. You just feel a sense us in the air. You’re getting a getting a vibe here, right? So, uh, wherever you uh, tune in, we’d love for you to subscribe. Mike, we had a big introduction yesterday of the new Angel’s manager. We’ve got some uh, some pictures from the scenes here. Wait, hold on. That’s not it. That’s what it should be, right? We’ve got the pictures from the scenes here. No, that’s not it either. My bad. My bad. Uh, in case you’re wondering on the audio side, it’s pictures of me and Mike in the uh, press conference area. The same room. They didn’t even use the big room. Mike, they right. I don’t know if they did. Trent Rush told us that there there are you can tell the the the the bigness of the announcement based off of the what room that they’re in. And so maybe they didn’t really think that this was too big. We’re talking about the president. Arty wasn’t there either. So there you go. I’m not surprised. The press conference yesterday, Kurt Suzuki was introduced as the Angels manager. We’re going to share quotes and all of the thoughts that were shared by Kurt Suzuki and Perry Manassian. But the first thing that we learned, John, probably the most important thing, this is a oneyear deal. I mean, Locked On committed to us longer than that than Angels committed to Kurt Suzuki. Now, uh, Perry added that Kurt’s tied with him. So, they both have one-year deals, and Kurt was asked about that, and he said, “Well, the last six years of my career were one-year deals, and he’s here to do a job, and he’s going to do that job well, and he’s here to prove himself.” He says the one-year deal doesn’t scare him. Perry Manosian also said that every season, no matter how long your contract is, is a one-year deal. I got a comment about that. But first, Sam Blum posted this on X. He had two things that came to mind. He said first Arty doesn’t want to be paying a manager during the lockout if he doesn’t have to and that lockout potentially could come after 2026 season. And then number two, Perry one year left on his contract and Kurt are tied to the hip. If it doesn’t go well this year, they’re probably they’re probably uh not going to do this next year. They’re going to go in a new direction next year. So, John, uh, your thoughts on the long-term commitment that Perry Manassian said, “Going to be here a long time.” By the way, this is a one-year deal. Your thoughts on that one-year deal? There was, uh, something somebody said just yesterday. That is coming back to me. Oh, it was you when you said, “The length of this deal will determine whether this team is serious or unserious.” And Mike, it’s a one-year deal. Yeah. Can you get any more unserious than a one-year deal? You can tell me, “Yes, it’s Perry’s last year. I get that. This is Perry’s hire. He’s taken the manager with him.” You can tell me, Kurt Suzuki, you can be cute and say, “Well, the last six years of my career were one-year deals.” You can tell me all that stuff and that, you know, every year is a one-year deal. It’s a prove it year. That sort of thing. Come on. Come on. They they have they have sugarcoated it and sugarcoated it. later they had to come out and say, “Well, it’s got options. It’s got options in it.” Because they were options. They were they were embarrassed. Yeah. By literally everyone. Yeah. From every direction and area of baseball saying, “One year, yeah, I got on to do game night last night. Hopefully you tuned in, by the way. It was a nice round table with the other hosts.” And I pop into the room and everyone goes, “One year.” And I go, “Don’t look at me. I didn’t sign him to it. I didn’t do it. I don’t do this. So, uh I agree with Sam. This is Arty Marino looking to the lockout. And Mike, I’ll we’ll elaborate on this at a later date. Mhm. But that proves to me that the owners are not negotiating in good faith because the CBA doesn’t get negotiated when the season’s over and they can’t come up with something. They all say, “Well, well, then we’re not playing.” Mhm. They’re negotiating it right now. They have meetings. They have owners and they have players association. They all get together and they they do it like, you know, once every four months or whatever it is because they’re too busy otherwise. Uh but but they’re doing it right now. And so if if you’re making moves like this, you’re one of those owners that anticipates, yeah, we’re not playing Yeah. at least on time in 2027. Yeah. John, couple thoughts. First, it drove me nuts that Perry Manosian was yucking it up when he talked about a one-year deal. Well, it doesn’t matter how long of a contract you have. Every year’s a one-year deal. Seriously, come on. That was good. It was good. It was dumb. Then then why’d you give Ron two? Why’d you give Joe three? Why’d you do this? Why’d you do Yeah. Right here? Here’s what it also says. It must have sucked in that clubhouse last year with all the coaches and managers if they didn’t go run it back with Ron Washington. if they knew that they were only going to do this year and maybe they didn’t know that. But it must it must have been awful. Who complained, right? Who said something? It must have been awful. Maybe maybe they saw what happened to players like Logan O’H we we can’t run that back. We we can’t we can’t have that that coaching staff around him. This just this tells me that something in that clubhouse was not good and not good at all. It also tells me and we’ll get into it in just a moment. It also tells me that Perry was not looking very seriously at anybody else outside of the people that are already close to him that kind of know his thought process and whatever the heck the strategy might be. Right. Maybe, you know, you and I have been talking about like I can’t believe that already cheaped out and wouldn’t pay Tory Hunter or Albert P. Maybe it wasn’t even money, Mike. Maybe they offered a one-year deal to Albert Freaking Puh Holse or Tory Freaking Hunter. Yeah. Yeah. And then what about the coaching staff? And what about players? Nothing about this says, “Yeah, I’d love to come there for one year.” Yeah. Right. What what we’re going to get is we’re going to get prove it guys like we always get. And that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be bad when it comes to the coaching staff, but we’re going to get prove it guys, which tells me that maybe some of the guys from last year are going to carry over to this year, which I think is a huge mistake. Yeah. And that’s that’s just the small sample size of this one-year deal and what it communicates to me as a fan. And I’ve been a longtime fan, man. I’ve been a longtime fan of this team. So have you. And so have every day. And that’s all that it communicates to me. This is this this is silly. It’s silly, right? Like you’re unserious. Very unserious. And again, there’s other things happening. One of our every day said, “Maybe it’s a sign that Art’s planning on selling. Please God, let that be the case, right?” Oh, dear God. If you know what that’s from, let me know. Uh Mike, the fact that they’re only going to give him a one-year deal. No coach is going to come here. No players are going to come here. I mean, nobody’s there’s no incentive to that. No, you’re going to sign here when it already stinks and then not know if your boss or your manager is going to be around the next year. Come on. Unserious. Deeply unserious. Kurt was asked really two important questions. The first one came from Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register. He asked uh that several have held this job without success. So, what’s different with him? And Kurt said, “I’m going to be myself. I’m not going to compare myself to others. I have confidence in my abilities to relate and what I’ll bring to the table. He shared that he wanted to create something special that hasn’t happened in a while. And said Perry created a roster of potential. How do you think Kurt handled that question? What are your thoughts? Listen, I I think Kurt sounds like a upstanding human. Like he he sounds like a great husband and a great dad and seems Oh yeah. Got got emotional when he thanked his family. Like fantastic. That’s real, right? That’s real. And his answers, I think, were the best answers he could come up with without destroying this team. You could tell he was he was searching for it. You could tell. Yes. And and it even came out in the second question. Sam Blum asked if he would diagnose why previous managers haven’t worked and why he will be different. And he said, “The boys will become will come prepared to play. They can’t control the results, but focus on the details, the little things, and that he’s going to take his chances with this team if they do that.” at Kurt spoke a lot about bunting and situational hitting. I felt like John that was his way of kind of destroying what has happened with the Angels without being nasty and destroying it because that was a nod to us. That’s what I like. That’s what it was. He listens to it. Sounds like Small Ball might be potentially coming back to Anaheim. And if that’s the case, do you think this roster can handle the small ball mentality that Kurt Suzuki potentially could bring? They can handle it. I mean it not everybody has to play it. Mike Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, Joe Adell, they’re not going to play small ball. Joe Adell can run. So he could certainly steal some more bags or maybe even put a bunt down if he needs to. But you’ve got you’ve got your nets, you’ve got your Oh, hoppies. The other thing about small ball, it’s it’s not just like dinky doo hits or weak little hits. It’s it’s going first to third. It’s going the opposite way. Watch the Blue Jays and how they face the Dodgers this weekend. I admit that I think the Dodgers are going to win this series, but I think if any team in the league will be able to put up a fight against the juggernaut that is the Dodgers and you know Show Otani is their fourth starter, right? Like that’s where they’re at right now. Watch the Blue Jays play ball and if they do what they’ve been doing all season long, that’s what small ball is. Uh Ernie Clement, I keep saying it, I hope he has a 19 pitch at bat against somebody. I want something ridiculous. He fouls a ton of things off. He goes three and two and fouls off four more pitches, right? Like that’s what I want to see. And that’s the kind of small ball that these Angels, anybody can do it, right? You’ve been doing it since little league. Like anybody can play that kind of game. Some people aren’t designed to play that kind of game. I said it the other day that not everybody can be Mike Trout, but they’re expected to play like Mike Trout. And that’s just not how baseball works. when did we decide to copy and paste on all of our players and all of our rosters and everything like you know silly example when I when I I like to do fantasy leagues in MLB the show and I’ll draft a leadoff guy and you know a good number three hitter and then my big boppers number four like where’d that go? Yeah, that’s like that’s standard issue, right? And I know there’s different ways to design lineups. We talked about you know fun things like the the one through 10 lineup, right? the theoretical one through 10. Like there’s other ways you can do it, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that everybody has a role on the team. And so you’ve got to figure out what are they good at. Zach Neto, he can hit for power, but he can also put the bunt down. He can steal bags. He I mean, he’s your five tool player. That’s really what it comes down to. Logan O’H. When did we see the most success from Logan Hoppy? When he went the other way. Hit that ball into right center field. Take two. or sometimes it would just hit the wall, the the Garrett Anderson wall, right? Wants all those home home runs back. That’s that’s what they need. And so it it’s just frustrating to me that where they’ve been is trying to make everybody fit into this box. I again I’m encouraged by Kurt Suzuki and what he had to say and the fact that Small Ball might be coming back to Anaheim and yeah, I think they could do it. What about you? I I think that they have the team to be able to do that if they if they prioritize it. And and and what I mean by that is they’re going to have to have a Bryce Teodosio on this roster. They’re going to have to have somebody else leading off. Not not Zack Neto, right? The way things are looking, they’re going to have to have Bryce Teodosio on this roster because nobody’s going to come here. Yeah. And they’re going to have to find I mean, you know, I think it’s every day or Steve G in our YouTube comments. He’s like, “Bring up the pitching coach from I I I think he’s talking about DoubleA.” He’s like, “Bring that guy up.” Is that Michael Wartz? Yes, that’s it. Thank you. Uh, that’s what they’re gonna have to do, Mike. Yeah, honestly, I mean, you know, I I don’t doubt that they’ll hire some people, but it’s beyond me. John, do you think the one-year deal does motivate Curt Suzuki and these players? Do you What What do you think that that does? Because I I get like in in in the work in the work that I do, there is motivation in in small pockets and small windows. This weekend we have a a big a big weekend that we’re planning for and there’s motivation to do really well and there’s motivation to inspire and there’s motivation to to create a a really awesome environment to love and serve people, right? Like there’s motivation in small pockets. What do you think it does for a Kurt Suzuki and what do you think it does for these young players knowing like, hey, like his job’s on the line and and and maybe this team kind of getting blown up. I I mean I don’t I don’t know what thoughts come into their head, but where do you think their their headsp space is at right now? Well, I I think with with one year on his contract, like you better be good, right? And and I don’t think that anybody across baseball will hold it against Kurt Suzuki. If people have the opinion of Curt Suzuki that we’ve been hearing from not just the Angels organization, but people all over baseball, he will get another job. It’s not going to be like Phil Nevin who hasn’t been a manager since he managed the Angels. Uh wasn’t a manager before the Angels, right? So, it wasn’t like he was uh already in this role. Kurt Suzuki will be a manager for the remainder of his managerial career. He will be managering, right, Mike? Um he will be able to do that wherever he wants. So, nobody’s going to hold this one-year thing against him. Having said that, all right, guys, prove it. Do it. Like that. That’s really what it comes down to. You got one year. Yeah. To get this right. And yes, the roster needs some help. The coaching staff certainly needs to be in place. Kurt Suzuki so far in the things that he’s said are great. Now you got to show me that it’s going to be any good whatsoever. Thanks for making Lockdown Angels your first listen of the day. Coming up, what did Perry Manassian have to say in this press conference besides uh yucking it up? Is that what you said, Mike? You did a really good yuck yuck yuck yuck there. Uh, we’ll talk about that in just a minute. Every Day’s FanDuel has an offer that you don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet $5 and you’re going to get $300 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. So, pick a bet, put down five bucks. 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You can tag us and follow us on social media, Locked Angels on Twitter and Super Halo Bros on Twitter, Instagram, and on Tik Tok. Johnny Perry Manassian also spoke at that press conference yesterday with Curt Suzuki and he started the press conference with a very telling statement. He thanked Arty and Carol Moreno. That sounds natural, right? But but elaborate, Michael, here’s here’s the direct quote. Thanks to Arty and Carol for letting me make this decision. Now, doesn’t that just summarize everything Angel fans feel about this team? And we’re probably reading into it. I get it. But doesn’t that just epitomize what we I mean even our friend Jared Tims tweeted that like other people were talking about talk about a fraud and slip Mike saying something you didn’t mean to say it three times John he said it to Roger and Trent Rush on AM830 and he said it twice in the press conference. Thank you for letting me do my job. And I get what he probably is trying to say like I love this opportunity and all of those things, but it just felt it felt like yeah, we we know exactly what’s happening behind the scenes there. If if if I said I want to thank Jeff Carr, locked on MLB channel manager for letting us discuss this Kurt Suzuki signing today, how would you take that? How would you understand? What would you take that to mean? Right. Yeah. Means you got a one-year contract. Well, we know that’s not true, right? Yeah. Uh, so Perry also said that there were a lot of great candidates. Perry said that that showed lean in that showed him how great this place is and how great this place can be. He said it due to the amount of people that wanted this job and the respect for the org and how the org treats their players. Not like there’s a trial going on that’s questioning that. John, is this a dissonance? Is there a dissonance with Perry Manosian and and how the fans see this team? I haven’t said this word in a long time on the show. Cognitive dissonance. Yeah. Great candidates showing that this is the the place to be. Well, yeah. Until it wasn’t. Until you offer them a one-year deal and they went, “Are you Are you joking? We’re joking, right? We’re starting low, aren’t we?” No, no, no. This is one year. This is our This is our high water mark. Don’t be ridiculous. That’s what they did. Yeah. Uh, Mike, it it’s it’s uh what’s the term? Gaslighting, right? Yes. That’s what it feels like, right? Doesn’t it feel like that? The state-run media, right? Yeah. How very gen Gen Z of you. That was good. That was good. Don’t you know, don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. I mean, good grief. Like, nobody nobody’s clamoring to be here. Yeah. and and for as many steps as the young players took this year to get some things right. I know everything didn’t go right. I know maybe I know we’ve discussed how you know there are certain things here that could make this a narrative shifting season. Maybe they’re not quite there yet. But at this point, when you sign somebody to one-year deal and your boss is looking forward to the day where baseball gets shut down and he gives you a one-year deal so he doesn’t have to pay you through the shutdown. No, just stop. Just stop it. That’s ridiculous. Perry also tried to separate. He said he tried to separate his relationship with Kurt to get good opinions about Kurt Suzuki. He said he spoke to a veteran player. didn’t give a name, but he said he talked to him about Kurt Suzuki, and this veteran player said, “No offense, but Kurt’s your best baseball brain in the building.” And Perry said, “That’s probably true.” And he was laughing with Roger Lodge about that. And he also said that he believes that Kurt will be here for a long, long time. That was followed by saying, “Hey, this is a one-year deal.” Yeah. That that struck me, too. Yeah. Yeah. What when did I text you? I was just like, “Oh, no, you text me.” one year. Wait, what? I think your feed was a little bit ahead of mine when I was watching it today. How can you say that he’s going to be here for a long, long time and then say it’s a one-year deal and you could tell he was like trying not to vomit as he said, it’s a one-year deal because even he was choking on those words. We’re tied together. We’re tied together. Tied together at the hip, right? And he has one more year. And it just it it felt like there there are communicators that are are really good at at buy getting you to buy in to to something that maybe you don’t want to buy into, right? And and communicators can sell ice to those that live in Antarctica, right? And and and Perry Manassian is not that. It was him like he’s going to be here for a long long time. And he came firm. I was listening to his emotion and I was I was listening to how he he came strong. I even watched a couple of videos. He came he leave Oh, he’s gonna be here a long long time and it’s a one-year deal and it was like you tried to hide that. Don’t look at what h I have in my hand. Look at look at this hand instead. You tried to hide that from us. It’s it’s it’s also Andy’s birthday party has been moved to today. Right. Like that’s what it was. That’s really good. Perry Maskian is Woody. That’s that’s Yeah. Yeah. Now, he he said he also believes that uh that when they when they talk about th this season uh that that Kurt’s going to make a difference this season, he said he’s not going to talk about like they’re they’re not going to be they’re not going to be talking about being competitive in October. They’re going to be playing games in October basically like we’re going to be in the playoffs this time next year instead of announcing our next manager in GM. Right. Yeah. That’s and that’s that was his point. And and Perry’s not a guy who predicts the future is what he said. But my question to you is do you do you believe that? Do you I’m laughing that I’m laughing because every day or Tracy from from Nevada who usually leaves us voicemails, he hit us up on Twitter and said, “Can’t wait for you guys to talk about uh one year from now the next GM and manager on the show. Can we can we record that episode right now and just and just put it in the can? We’ll bank it. Yeah, it’s evergreen, right? We’ll have one for every every year.” Yeah, because that’s the way that this seems to be going. Who will manage in 2027? Who will manage in 2028? Speaking of the scarecrow and AI, that’s exactly what we could do. We could have the Super Halo Bros on AI because that’s this team, man. Like, they’re so predictable and you you you know exactly what they’re going to do. Man, this just feels like the statement we’ve made and we joked, we made the joke, but now it’s become a reality, right? And I don’t think it’s because we’ve made it a reality and we’re starting to believe the hype. I think it’s actually a reality. We made the joke. We didn’t think that far ahead. Man, that is that summarizes everything about this team, especially with what we’ve seen since the off season started and what we’re what a month into this thing and it just feels like they’re going and they’re juggling. It’s it’s wild. There there’s two ways to look at this. I mean, any way you look at it, let me start this way. Any way you look at it, one year for a manager is ridiculous, right? And I understand he’s new. Lots of What did Tony Vetello get in uh with the Giants? It was like it pa Kurt’s pald in comparison to what the guy got in San Francisco. And I know he you know, Tennessee vs and everything like he’s he’s been a manager at the college level, but look, it it’s a one-year deal. That’s ridiculous. On the other hand, if if if this is Art’s thinking that he’s waiting for the CBA, he’s waiting for the evaluations of of the franchises to go up, and I had a lot of great everydayers explain like I didn’t understand how perhaps a salary cap would lead to franchises becoming more valuable. And and so there were a lot of great everyday that on Twitter. So check out Super Halo Bros and look at the comments on that tweet because it explained it very well. I didn’t understand that and they said, “Well, you know, if a team is, I think it was Jimmy TH said if somebody’s paying Skins 100 million to pitch for them and he brings in, you know, 200 million worth of revenue. If there’s a salary cap, you only got to pay skins 50 million and he’s still bringing in $200 million of revenue.” Those are madeup numbers obviously. Yeah. And and so it made sense to me. So you can look at it two ways. It’s classic Arty. He’s he and and he’s counting on, you know, not paying people through the CBA negotiations and the lockout that’s coming or he’s gearing up for a sale, right? And so but but the problem is Mike is we can’t look that far ahead because they haven’t looked that far ahead. And so it’s another one year at a time. If you and I have joked often if if this team the way they operate is they got to make more money than they did last year, right? And and this is this epitomizes that. This is the epitome of that. So, it’s just crazy to me that this is uh going on in 2025. But it’s also not crazy to me because if the Angels had a reputation for being everything that they are, well, they certainly hammered it home to the rest of MLB with that press conference yesterday. Locked on Angel is brought to you by Price Picks. It’s the daily fantasy app where making the right call can actually pay off. You and I make decisions every single day, but on Price Picks, being right means that you can cash in. And with football back, Price Picks is the simplest and fastest way to get in on all of the action. Just pick more or less on two to six player uh stat projections and you can turn your takes into real prizes all in less than 60 seconds. So download the prize pick app today. Use our promo code locked on MLB. You’re going to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That’s promo code locked on MLB for $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Price picks. It’s good to be right. Mike, there were a lot of members of the media, the familiar faces, Rhett Ballinger, who covers the Angels for MLB.com. Uh, there was Thomas Murray from the Sporting Tribune. That was cool to hear his voice in that press conference. And of course, Sam Blum and Jeff Fletcher that we alluded to earlier. Now, Kurt was asked by Rhett Ballinger, how long has he been looking to manage? And Kurt said managing was something that excited him. He wasn’t putting his name out there right away, but the right opportunity came up with the right person, and that was Perry Manassian. He was asked about the managers who have made an impact on him and what he learned from them and he said playing for nine different managers. Uh he kind of picked up traits from each one, learning from each one was very helpful. Yeah. Thomas Murray asked Kurt uh how how does he feel about going from a walk-on at college to managing the angels. He said it’s been a whirlwind. It’s a special story, one that he wants to continue to remind his kids of. He said his parents raised him to earn everything that he gets and he wants to earn the Angels respect, Angel fans respect. I appreciated that he acknowledged the fans often yesterday. Kurt was also asked if uh wait before you take that next question. Yeah. Can I just point out something about the acknowledgement? Yeah. I mean, look, we we got real hyped about Ron Washington, all the things that he said and, you know, we were all saying we wanted to run through a wall for him and all the things that he was gonna do. Can I just point out the fact that I’m grateful for Kurt Suzuki addressing the fans and just acknowledging like this is this is what we do. It’s for you guys. Like we play for you, right? And I don’t I mean other than Perry saying like something about you know we realize that this is for the fans and like I it just it doesn’t feel genuine and and so I think what is frustrating about all this Mike is the fact that after hearing a lot of what Kurt Suzuki has had to say and potentially what he will be able to do on his own. It’s a darn shame that he’s not going to get more than one year. He’s not going to get the staff that he needs. maybe he’s not going to get any big free agents that this team certainly needs, right? Like it’s it’s just what a shame. Yeah. And and what a waste because the more I hear from him, the more I think he can do a good job and I think he’ll do the best that he can with the tools that he’s given. But man, I I I just really think that right out of the gate, you are not setting up your bud for success there, Perry. No. Right. And what I liked about this press conference compared to Wash is Wash was hype. This one was more hopeful. And when I say hopeful, it wasn’t like false hope or like angel, right? It wasn’t. It just was more hopeful because he was addressing the reality of the situation. Talked a lot about contact, strikeouts. Even Perry Manosian talked a lot about that. Talked about pitching and the impact that having a catcher as your manager can have on the pitching and on the contact. Now, Kurt was asked about if he thinks they’re close to getting back into contention and if he’s seen growth. He said, “I’ve definitely seen growth, but I love this.” He said it would be irresponsible to say that they’re close to getting back to where they want to be. He said the goal is that they want these guys to get a lot better. That’s the first honest comment we’ve had in the last 5 years cuz all we’ve ever heard is we’re going to be competitive. We’re going to compete. Our goal is to get to the playoffs. Curt says, “You know what? That would be irresponsible of me to give people false hope.” So, here’s what I’m going to say. We’re going to make sure that these guys get better every day. Fine. There you go. I love that. Perry was asked uh when Kurt entered the process and he said it was early in the process, asked if he was interested. They were probably in the same office and Perry went, “Hey, what do you think? Kurt, you back there?” That’s probably what happened right now. They said they sat down and chatted about Can I talk to you for a second? Can you can you meet me in my office, please? Albert said, “No, you don’t have to call. Just just lean over the cubicle. Don’t don’t page me. Don’t call me.” Now, Perry did say that he believes Kurt will be a better manager than a player and added that being a catcher was a big draw, thinks that he’s going to help again develop the pitching and and catching. He did specifically mention Logan O’Hap and the relationship that Kurt has with Logan Oppo. They talked about how could be an all-star. You’re right. Get good people around him, please. He expects Logan Hoppy to take a significant step. John, final thoughts on Curt Suzuki in the press conference from yesterday. I mean, I I kind of said my piece. I think it’s a shame that, you know, maybe this goes better than we thought it would or at least this Kurt is a better choice than maybe we were initially thinking in the sense that, hey, there were some guys that, you know, we thought would have Arty’s ear and be able to bend it a little bit and and kind of negotiate, hey, you want to be good, we got to go out and do some stuff and and Kurt’s probably not going to be able to do that, right? That’s the reality of the situation. However, if if he follows through on the fact that yeah, each of these guys needs to profile differently at the plate. They don’t need to be doing the same things one through nine, that’s a that’s a good thing. Now, you got to follow through on that. Uh the small ball stuff, the pitching stuff, you got to follow through on that. To the extent to which he can follow through on that, I don’t know, man. I that’s that’s really going to be a problem for me. Give me your final thoughts on all of this. This tells me everything that we’ve already known that this is a business. Yeah, this is a business. What What do I need to do to to field a team and a coaching staff this year? And I’m speaking as Arty Marino. What do I need to do? Can I give a one-year deal? Perry, find me somebody that we can trust, that we like, that we think will do a pretty good job. This is all speculating, but give me give me somebody for this year. You you you said this you literally said these words the other day, Mike, when we were talking about manager stuff, like this is how it was going to go down. Yeah. And this is how it went down, right? Yep. Yep. We nailed it. And I didn’t want to nail it, but we nailed it. That’s exactly what happened. Yeah. Thanks for making Locked On Angels your first listen of the day. Now for your next listen, check out Locked On MLB Game Night. Johnny’s on there. Can’t miss that. They’ve got every game, every night until the World Series champion is crowned. You can find game nights on Locked on MLB, the YouTube channel, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, be sure you give us a follow on Twitter, Locked OnAngels, and Super Halo Bros on Twitter, Instagram, and Tik Tok. Make sure you come on over to today’s show on YouTube. Get in the discussion because we’d love to hear from you. Of course, we we’ve been I mean, I know we kind of laughed our way through this and made some some dorky jokes, but the fact is is like it’s all you can kind of do right now with with the way things are and you just kind of go, “Well, there it is.” And and so, yeah, I think that that uh kind of sums it up here. Mike, what do we have on deck for Friday’s show? Well, we’re going to talk about the difference that a manager can potentially make and will Kurt make the difference in Anaheim. We we’ve got some good discussion about that. Plus some other things like a Sam Blum conversation with Barry Minosian about air conditioning. That’s how ridiculous it is in Anaheim. We’re going to talk about that tomorrow on Locked on Angels. Oh man, I’m just sitting here dreaming of of these pictures of me and you at the press conference. And yeah, uh GM and manager right there. That’s what I say. All right, friends. Thanks for being here. And for the sickos who, uh love to listen and love to watch, we’ll see you back here on Friday. Who’s GM? Who’s manager? I thought I was uh GM. Oh, we got to talk about this. No, I always win the GM.

The Los Angeles Angels shock fans with Kurt Suzuki’s one-year managerial contract! Is this a sign of short-term thinking or a strategic move? Mike and Jon dissect the implications of Suzuki’s hiring, from its impact on team building to potential effects on player development. They analyze Perry Minasian’s press conference comments, questioning the GM’s autonomy in decision-making. The hosts explore Suzuki’s managerial approach, focusing on preparation and situational hitting, and its potential benefits for stars like Mike Trout and Logan O’Hoppe. Tune in for a critical look at the Angels’ organizational direction and what Suzuki’s hiring means for the team’s future competitiveness in the AL West.

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0:00 Kurt Suzuki’s one-year contract with Angels

5:45 Perry Minasian’s comments on one-year deals

11:08 Kurt Suzuki’s approach and small ball strategy

21:55 Perry’s contradictory statements on Suzuki’s future

33:18 Final thoughts on Suzuki and Angels’ approach