A pair of former Angels stars appeared to be the frontrunners to become the club’s next manager. Now both are out of the race. Torii Hunter is no longer a candidate in the Angels’ managerial search. reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The Hunter news comes after Albert Pujols’ candidacy suffered the same fate this morning. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports this Hunter could still be a candidate for the Minnesota management vacancy.
It’s the latest chapter in an ongoing saga replacing Ron Washington and Ray Montgomery, neither of whom were retained by the team. Hunter was mentioned as an option to fill the role, but only if Pujol’s plan failed. Pujols was described as the “leading choice” for the job and it seemed to be his if he wanted it. Contract negotiations between Pujols and the team ultimately fell through, leading to the Hall of Famer being removed from the search.
Hunter spent five seasons of his 19-year MLB career with the Angels. He performed well on both sides of the ball with the club, earning a pair of All-Star selections and two Gold Glove awards. Hunter didn’t reach the MVP-level production he showed in his days in Minnesota, but he was an above-average hitter every season with the Halos. As a 36-year-old in his final campaign with the team, Hunter hit a career-best .313 while posting a 131 wRC+.
Hunter has no previous coaching or management experience at the highest level. He served in special assistant roles for a number of years, including in the Los Angeles organization. Hunter was hired in 2024 as special assistant to general manager Perry Minasian.
The Angels plan to interview another former player, Kurt Suzuki, for the management position. Suzuki also happens to be a special assistant to Minasian. Sam Blum of The Athletic reports this the team is also interested in talking to Rocco Baldelli and Brandon Hyde about the vacancy. Former Astros manager Bo Porter also wants a shot at the job. Porter was the Angels’ third base coach this past season.
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