Los Angeles Angels hire Ron Washington as new manager, Buck Showalter out of running

The Ron Washington Era has begun in Los Angeles as the Angels officially announce that he will take over as the team's new manager. After the team opted to not renew the contract of manager Phil Nevin, there were a number of potential replacements that came up in rumors.

"Breaking: Angels hire Ron Washington for their manager job" - @JonHeyman

One of them was Ron Washington, who expressed interest in taking over one of the many managerial vacancies across the MLB. While he was linked to the Houston Astros after the retirement of Dusty Baker, it turns out that he will instead take over the role with their division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.

There were several contenders for the vacant managerial position with the Los Angeles Angels, including Buck Showalter, who was with the New York Mets last season. Washington, who served as the Atlanta Braves third base coach last year, will be tasked with ushering a new era of Angels baseball.

"The Los Angeles Angels are hiring Ron Washington as their new manager, sources tell ESPN. Washington, the former manager of the Texas Rangers and beloved longtime coach now with Atlanta, gets another shot with the Angels. @JonHeyman was on it." - @JeffPassan

At 71 years old, Washington will get a second opportunity as a manager, after serving in the position for eight seasons with the Texas Rangers. Washington is the latest move in arguably the most important offseason in Los Angeles Angels history with the potential departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani.

A closer look at the MLB career of Ron Washington

Washington began his professional career as an infielder, spending 10 seasons in the MLB. Following his playing days, Washington switched to coaching, working with the New York Mets before joining the Oakland Athletics as the team's first base coach. After 10 seasons with the A's, Washington accepted his first and only managerial position with the Texas Rangers.

Although he never won the title with the Texas Rangers, he helped lead the club to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011. After resigning in 2014, Washington returned to the Oakland Athletics for a year, later joining the Atlanta Braves as their third base coach.

Now he will be given another opportunity as a manager, this time with the Los Angeles Angels. Although the club will need to address several vacancies on the roster, the fact that they have their new manager will allow the club to focus on players.