Angels GM Perry Minasian is selling an optimism not based in reality

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- If you ask Angels general manager Perry Minasian about his team, everything is fine. "That'll work itself out," he said of a bullpen whose meltdowns have contributed to losses in 12-or-14 games, and an American League-worst 13-22 record. "Our best baseball is in front of us, there's no doubt about that," he said of a team that's not even sniffed a .500 record in his six seasons at GM. It's become the hallmark of a Minasian interview -- refusing to acknowledge the plainly obvious shortcomings of the roster he constructs. Acting as though the losses are happenstance, not the product of years poor development, poor drafts and poor spending. To Minasian, the Angels have been on the precipice of success for the last half-dozen years. He acknowledged that the recent 0-6 road trip through Kansas City and Chicago was "one of the toughest I've been on." But refuses to talk about it in the honest context that it requires. He speaks with the confidence of a baseball executive who has built a roster worthy of the "Well, it's early" caveat. Perhaps that would be fair for the defending American League-champion Toronto Blue Jays to say. Or the Seattle Mariners, or even the New York Mets -- the team that just took 2 of 3 in Anaheim. But not the Angels, who are 103 games below .500 in Minasian's tenure. Minasian hasn't talked to reporters much at all this season, even with a first-year manager in Kurt Suzuki on a one-year deal at the helm. When he does talk, on Sunday and in scrums past, he repeatedly responds to basic questions with indignation or unnecessary requests for clarification. "What do you mean," he asked when posed a question about what Yusei Kikuchi's serious shoulder injury means for the rotation. "As far as?" He asked, when questioned on whether the key to fixing the bullpen rests with internal options or external acquisitions. In one instance, he was asked if Jordan Romano's awkward April 25 mound exchange with Suzuki played a role in his release by the club. The Angels are on the hook for Romano's $2 million guaranteed even after his DFA. "Exchange?" Minasian asked, suggesting he had no idea about Romano and Suzuki's back-and-forth. "You're saying like a negative exchange?" Minasian asked after a follow-up question that provided more details. Eventually, after somewhat lengthy back-and-forth, Minasian acknowledged that he knew about what had happened, and that it wasn't a factor in his release. "He just wanted to stay in the game," he said. "A lot of guys want to stay in the game. That's not a negative. For me that's not negative. We want guys to want to stay in games." That wasn't really the question, though. It was about whether or not the optics of a reliever making a case on the mound played a role in his release hours later. The Angels are paying Drew Pomeranz $4 million on a one-year deal, but have made no inkling of letting him go, despite a 9.26 ERA entering Sunday. They're paying Alek Manoah even less than Romano, but have kept him despite poor spring results, and again in his first rehab appearance for Low-A Rancho Cucamonga this weekend. The issue really isn't about Romano or any singular reliever. It's about an executive who seems dismissive about the shortcomings. After last season, he refused to assess his own performance, and instead pointed toward his team's nine-win improvement from 63-99 in 2024 to 72-90 in 2025. When asked about the club's historically high strikeout rates, Minasian instead pointed to its OPS, which ranks 13th in the majors. "If you look at where you're at on offense, we're in a pretty good spot, relative to the league where we rank in OPS," Minasian said. Two things can be true. The Angels can have strong overall offensive numbers, and a strikeout-laden lineup that heightens its susceptibility for stalled rallies and prolonged slumps. Minasian's press conferences feel like he's trying to convince people of something different than what they can see. Perhaps it's selling positivity to the fanbase. Or selling a strong job performance to his boss, owner Arte Moreno, who has to decide whether or not to extend Minasian's expiring contract. Time will tell if he's right about the direction of his club. The Angels certainly have some talent, some pop and some guys with impressive stats. In the first couple of weeks of this season, they've played genuinely good baseball. But the problem that so often rears its head in Anaheim is a roster not truly built for 162 games. A system devoid of depth, health and a development framework that should capitalize on the legitimate talent that does exist within those walls. Or, maybe, Minasian is right. And it will just somehow, someday, fall into place. "We've got good arms," Minasian said. "We've got good people. We'll be fine."