Los Angeles Angels

The Los Angeles Angels suspended pitching coach Mickey Callaway in the wake of allegations of lewd behavior toward women in sports media.

"Late yesterday we were made aware of the allegations reported in The Athletic," the team said. "This morning we suspended Mickey Callaway, and will work closely with MLB to conduct a full investigation."

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez provided more context:

Source: Mickey Callaway has denied any wrongdoing, which protects him from being fired without an investigation. MLB and the Angels are hoping to wrap up this investigation in relatively short order.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) February 2, 2021

The Athletic's Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang spoke to five women (all of whom were referred to by pseudonyms) about Callaway's behavior, with one woman saying "it was the worst-kept secret in sports":

"The five women pursued by Callaway described a pattern in which he regularly contacted them via email, text messages or on social media, and often a combination of the three. His pursuit put them in a difficult position at work given what they perceived as a stark power imbalance. The women were forced to weigh the professional ramifications of rebuffing him."

Callaway responded to the allegations in an email:

"Rather than rush to respond to these general allegations of which I have just been made aware, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific responses. Any relationship in which I was engaged has been consensual, and my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these general allegations."

Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey issued a statement shortly after the report was published: "The behavior being reported violates the Angels Organization's values and policies. We take these allegations very seriously, and will conduct a full investigation with MLB."

Callaway managed the Mets in 2018 and 2019. Samantha, a New York-based reporter, told Ghiroli and Strang he sent her shirtless selfies on multiple occasions and asked her to reciprocate. The woman also said Callaway would massage her shoulders in the dugout.

Callaway continued to message Samantha upon joining the Angels, with Samantha calling him "completely unrelenting."

Another reporter from New York, Anne, said Callaway wanted to get drunk with her in exchange for information about what was happening with the Mets. She said he would also make unprofessional comments about her appearance when they crossed paths.

Lauren said she interviewed Callaway shortly after he took over as the Mets manager. During the course of the interview, he "put his leg up onto a railing to 'peacock her,' thrusting his crotch near her face."

Lauren followed up to say she "felt like I had to keep up this persona of friendliness and being polite to him" in order to fulfill the duties of her job.

The allegations against Callaway came less than a month after ESPN's Mina Kimes and Jeff Passan reported on now-former Mets general manager Jared Porter sending "explicit, unsolicited texts and images" to a female reporter in 2016. The franchise fired Porter one day after the report's publication.

Ghiroli and Strang noted Mets president Sandy Alderson was part of the process to hire both Callaway and Porter and that the Mets had investigated Callaway for an incident that happened before his hiring:

"The Mets, when contacted by The Athletic, said that in August 2018—about 10 months after Callaway joined the organization—the team learned of an incident that took place before it hired him. The team investigated that matter, a spokesperson said, but declined to reveal the nature of the incident, the outcome of that probe or whether Callaway was disciplined. Callaway continued managing the rest of the season."

Alderson said he "was unaware of the conduct described in the story at the time of Mickey's hire or at any time during my tenure as (GM)."

Sandy Alderson: “I was unaware of the conduct described in the story at the time of Mickey’s hire or at any time during my tenure as (GM). We have already begun a review of our hiring processes to ensure our vetting of new employees is more thorough & comprehensive.” pic.twitter.com/3b5cdN8wdK

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) February 2, 2021

The Angels hired Callaway as their pitching coach in October 2019, shortly after his dismissal from the Mets. Prior to his move to New York, the 45-year-old spent five seasons as Cleveland's pitching coach.

In The Athletic report, Samantha said "even an ounce" of vetting into Callaway's personal life by potential employers would have raised red flags about his behavior.

Current Los Angeles Angels pitching coach and former New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway allegedly "aggressively pursued at least five women who work in sports media" by sending them unsolicited messages, commenting on their appearances and sending inappropriate photographs.

Five women told Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic that Callaway's behavior "spanned at least five years, multiple cities and three teams."

One woman said he "thrust his crotch" near her face during an interview, while another said he offered to share information about the Mets with her if she went for drinks with him. He allegedly used email, text messages and even LinkedIn in one instance to contact the women.

A number of women, including some who said they were not approached by Callaway, said they were warned about him, with one saying, "It was the worst-kept secret in sports."

Callaway, who also coached in the Cleveland organization from 2010 to 2017, responded to the allegations via email:

"Rather than rush to respond to these general allegations of which I have just been made aware, I look forward to an opportunity to provide more specific responses. Any relationship in which I was engaged has been consensual, and my conduct was in no way intended to be disrespectful to any women involved. I am married and my wife has been made aware of these general allegations."

The Angels said, "The behavior being reported violates the Angels Organization's values and policies. We take this very seriously and will conduct a full investigation with MLB."

Cleveland released a statement saying it is "reviewing the matter internally and in consultation with Major League Baseball."

The Indians have released a statement re: The Athletic’s Mickey Callaway story: pic.twitter.com/QOdbFfKYAX

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 2, 2021

New York said it learned of an incident that took place before it hired him and investigated. However, it did not provide details on the incident or the outcome of the investigation.

He managed the Mets in 2018 and 2019.

This comes after a Jan. 18 report from Mina Kimes and Jeff Passan of ESPN detailing "explicit, unsolicited texts and images" former Mets general manager Jared Porter sent to a female reporter when he worked with the Chicago Cubs front office.

He sent 62 consecutive unanswered text messages, one of which included a photograph of a naked, erect penis. The Mets fired him the day after the report was released.

Mets President Sandy Alderson hired both Porter and Callaway.

As for Callaway, one woman said, "He would come up to me and massage my shoulders in the dugout when he thought no one was looking. For a month, he would text me asking for nude pics. I started talking to people (who were in the media) and they said this isn't an isolated thing."

Multiple women said he sent them shirtless pictures of himself, with one saying, "Two or three times a week for a month he'd send me shirtless selfies" and would then follow up by saying, "Now you send me one of you."

She said the messages continued even when she didn't reply.

The Athletic report noted a number of Los Angeles-based women said they were warned about Callaway when the Angels hired him.

New York fired him in October 2019 after it missed the playoffs in both of his years as manager.

One woman said the messages didn't stop after the Mets fired him, adding, "He was completely unrelenting."

The Los Angeles Angels are reportedly set to acquire pitcher Alex Cobb in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Dan Connolly and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Orioles will receive second baseman Jahmai Jones—who was the seventh-ranked prospect in the Angels' system, per MLB.com—in return. Heyman noted Baltimore will cover "more than half" of the $15 million remaining on Cobb's contract.

Cobb has spent the past three years with Baltimore after beginning his career with the Tampa Bay Rays. He finished last season with a 4.30 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 10 starts, although his 3.1 walks per nine innings were his most since his rookie season in 2011.

It was a bounce-back year for Cobb, who missed most of the 2019 season with a hip injury. Health has been a problem throughout his career, with the 33-year-old never topping 180 innings in a single season.

The right-hander is usually reliable when on the mound, though, producing a 3.88 career ERA and 12.6 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post also noted the pitcher's value in this new location:

#Angels believe 1 of their assets in 2021 will be IF defense with Rendon/Iglesias/Fletcher. Cobb's 54.5 groundball percentage was 7th highest in MLB in 2020 (minimum 50 IP). https://t.co/cx2gdUcIdq

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 1, 2021

He provides additional starter depth for the Angels, which also added Jose Quintana this offseason and will get Shohei Ohtani back as a pitcher after limited action last year due to a right forearm strain. Dylan Bundy, who was Cobb's teammate with the Orioles, should lead the rotation along with Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning.

Baltimore will seemingly continue its rebuild after four straight losing seasons, also clearing the $15 million Cobb is owed for 2021 before he becomes a free agent next offseason.

Chris Davis ($23 million) is now the only player on the Orioles roster making more than $5 million in 2021, while John Means enters next year as the de facto ace in a rotation full of question marks.   

A judge with the Orange County Superior Court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by former Los Angeles Angels clubhouse manager Brian Harkins, according to the Orange County Register's Jeff Fletcher.

Harkins filed suit against the Angels and MLB in August, saying he had been defamed in the wake of his firing in March.

The Los Angeles Times' Maria Torres reported March 5 the Angels moved on from Harkins for "allegedly furnishing illegal substances to put on baseballs." The team declined to disclose the reason for his ouster.

One day later, Torres and Mike DiGiovanna reported Harkins would sell "Go Go Juice," which was a combination of rosin and pine tar, to help pitchers get a better grip on the baseball. MLB officials reached out to the Angels about the allegations but didn't direct the organization to terminate his employment.

Reporting on the lawsuit, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez provided part of the case made by Harkins' attorneys, Daniel Rasmussen and Matthew Brown:

"The complaint states that an All-Star Angels pitcher who moved to the Detroit Tigers in 2005 originally taught Harkins to mix rosin, pine tar and Mota stick, a stiffer pine tar, to help the pitcher grip the baseball. Though the complaint doesn't specifically name the player, it is believed to be Troy Percival, a former All-Star pitcher for the Angels who later signed with the Tigers before the 2005 season.

"Word spread about the concoction through the unnamed player, and Harkins began providing it for other pitchers 'as a courtesy,' the complaint states, adding that it 'was not a money-making venture' and that 'many people within the Angels organization' knew about it."

On Jan. 7, Gonzalez reported a text message from New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole to Harkins had been submitted as evidence. Cole told Harkins he was "wondering if you could help me out with this sticky situation."

Harkins also named a number of prominent pitchers including Felix Hernandez, Corey Kluber, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander who had requested his unique substance.

The judge determined Harkins lacked evidence showing the claims made privately by Angels officials to justify his firing were untrue. In addition, the case didn't rise to defamation because nobody from the team used their name on the record to speak at length about the situation.

The Chicago Cubs mortgaged some of their future in 2017 when they traded four players, including the highly regarded Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, to the crosstown White Sox for Jose Quintana with the hopes he would stabilize the rotation as they chased more World Series titles.

After three-plus seasons of solid but unspectacular performances and zero World Series crowns, his time with the North Siders is over.

Quintana and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to terms, pending a physical, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Tuesday. Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that it was a one-year deal worth $8 million.

The Angels, who boasted 10 different starters throughout the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, needed some serious help on the hill after their rotation posted a collective 5.52 ERA, ranking second-worst in the league.

The southpaw is not that far removed from his 2016 All-Star season on the White Sox when he posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 208 innings, but there are also some concerns following this deal.

Quintana made just one start during the shortened 2020 campaign as he dealt with injury concerns, and he posted career-worst marks of 4.68 ERA and 1.39 WHIP during the 2019 season. He will also be 32 years old throughout the 2021 season and could well be past his prime.

Still, the chance that the Colombian could return to the form he displayed during his time on the White Sox surely convinced the Angels to sign him.

From 2012 until the White Sox traded him during the 2017 season, the lefty had a 3.51 ERA overall and finished with a sub-4.00 ERA in each of his five full years for the South Siders. He showed top-of-the-rotation stuff even if he was never as productive during his time on the Cubs.

There are injury concerns and fair questions about whether he will ever reach the potential he showed early in his career, but Quintana has the ability to be a key part of his new team's rotation as it chases a playoff berth in 2021.

The Los Angeles Angels reportedly have interest in free-agent catcher Kurt Suzuki as they look to make much-needed improvements behind the plate.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, L.A.'s interest in Suzuki is due, in part, to the fact that James McCann is reportedly no longer on the market.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, McCann and the New York Mets are finalizing a four-year contract worth more than $40 million.

While J.T. Realmuto and McCann were widely viewed as the two biggest prizes at the catcher position in free agency this offseason, Suzuki could make for a strong under-the-radar signing given his production in recent years.

The 37-year-old veteran has spent the past two seasons with the Washington Nationals and enjoyed a great deal of success during that stint.

In 2019, Suzuki was remarkably productive, as he hit .264 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI despite appearing in only 85 games. Suzuki also played a big role in the Nats' run to their first World Series title, playing in 10 postseason games.

The Nationals took a major step back as a team last season after losing star third baseman Anthony Rendon to the Angels in free agency, but Suzuki still played well during the COVID-shortened season with a .270 batting average, two homers and 17 RBI in 33 games.

Suzuki may not be considered a stud, but he is as reliable as they come with a .259 average, 133 home runs and 699 RBI in 1,512 career MLB games over 14 seasons.

If the Angels are able to sign Suzuki, it would arguably give them their best backstop since the Bengie Molina years in the early-to-mid 2000s.

Last year' starter, Max Stassi, turned in some solid offensive production for the Angels with a .278 batting average, seven home runs and 20 RBI.

The 29-year-old veteran may finally be hitting his stride, but he remains only a .216 career hitter, which suggests L.A. would be wise to bring in another capable catcher to split time with him.

Given Suzuki's age, making him a part-time starter may be the best thing for him and his health, and having Stassi in the fold would allow the Angels to do precisely that.

Former Los Angeles Angels director of public relations Eric Kay, who is accused of distributing the fentanyl that led to Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs' overdose death, will have his trial delayed from December to April after his lawyer contracted COVID-19. 

Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times reported the news on Kay, who has pled not guilty to felony charges of distributing the deadly fentanyl to Skaggs and intending to "possess with the intent to distribute" the drug "beginning in or before 2017," per Fenno.

William Reagan Wynn, who is representing Kay, filed a joint motion claiming he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 28 and has been quarantining ever since.

Skaggs died on July 1, 2019 in his Southlake, Texas hotel room with the Angels in town to play the Texas Rangers.

Per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, an autopsy report revealed that Skaggs had alcohol and opioids in his system, including fentanyl and oxycodone. He died via "terminal aspiration of gastric contents."

Per Fenno, Geoffrey Lindenberg, a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, said in an affidavit that Skaggs would have lived if he did not have fentanyl in his system.

Kay has admitted to providing fentanyl to Skaggs in the past, per T.J. Quinn of ESPN. However, he said he does not believe he gave Skaggs the fentanyl that led to his death.

Per Quinn:

"Kay told investigators he illegally obtained six oxycodone pills and gave three to Skaggs a day or two before the team left California for the road trip to Texas, according to the two sources. Kay told DEA agents he does not think the pills he obtained for Skaggs were the same ones the pitcher took the day he died because Skaggs typically would ingest the pills immediately after receiving them from Kay, the sources said.

"Skaggs also texted Kay the day the team left for Texas seeking more oxycodone, a request Kay told investigators he was unable to fulfill, the sources said."

The 27-year-old Skaggs pitched for seven MLB seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Angels.

The Los Angeles Angels have reportedly hired Perry Minasian as the team's newest general manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Minasian spent the past three years with the Atlanta Braves as the organization's assistant general manager.

He replaces Billy Eppler, who was fired in September following five straight losing seasons.

Los Angeles finished 2020 with a 26-34 record, missing even the expanded postseason to mark six straight years without reaching the playoffs.

Mike Trout has been one of the best individual players in baseball during his nine full years in the majors, but he has only one postseason appearance in 2014 and the team was swept in the first round.

Even with aggressive moves to add players like Albert Pujols and Shohei Ohtani, the squad hasn't found much success on the field.

Minasian will try to turn things around after helping build the Braves into one of the top teams in the majors. Atlanta went 72-90 in 2017 but has reached the playoffs in each of the last three years, going to the NLCS in 2020 before losing to the eventual champions Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

Before joining Atlanta, Minasian spent nine years with the Toronto Blue Jays, starting as a Major League scout and then becoming the director of scouting. He also grew up around the Texas Rangers with his father serving as a clubhouse manager.

It gives him a lot of experience around baseball heading into his new role.

The Angels also had Seattle Mariners assistant GM Justin Hollander, Chicago Cubs senior vice president Jason McLeod and Arizona Diamondbacks assistant GMs Jared Porter and Amiel Sawdaye for second interviews before deciding on Minasian, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

The Los Angeles Angels have reportedly narrowed their list of finalists for their vacant general manager position. 

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the team is deciding between five candidates, including Chicago Cubs senior vice president Jason McLeod, Seattle Mariners assistant general manager Justin Hollander and Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general managers Jared Porter and Amiel Sawdaye. 

Rosenthal added the fifth finalist is Atlanta Braves assistant general manager Perry Minasian. 

McLeod is the biggest name among the reported finalists. He has worked in the Cubs front office since November 2011 and led the scouting department when they drafted many key players for their 2016 championship team, including Albert Almora Jr., Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. 

Hollander has spent the previous five seasons working in Seattle's front office alongside general manager Jerry DiPoto. Minasian joined the Braves in 2017 after spending nine years with the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Porter and Sawdaye have been top lieutenants in Arizona's front office under general manager Mike Hazen since 2016. 

Billy Eppler, who spent the previous five seasons as the Angels general manager, was fired on Sept. 27 after the team finished 26-34. The 45-year-old was hired in October 2015 to replace DiPoto. He previously worked in the New York Yankees front office as scouting director and assistant general manager. 

Since posting an MLB-best 98-64 record in 2014, Los Angeles has had one winning record in the past six seasons (85-77 in 2015) with no playoff appearances. 

Impending free-agent shortstop Didi Gregorius has drawn interest from the Los Angeles Angels, per George A. King III of the New York Post.

"The Angels have an interest in the left-handed hitting Gregorius, who will turn 31 in February," King wrote. "That is likely advance work because their shortstop, Andrelton Simmons, will become a free agent after the World Series."

Gregorius hit .284 with 10 home runs and 40 RBI in 60 games in 2020 for the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed the shortstop to a one-year, $14 million contract last offseason. He's played nine years in the bigs for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and Phils.

King speculated that the Yankees could hypothetically go after Gregorius, a fan favorite who played in the Bronx from 2015 to 2019 and enjoyed his best seasons there.

The question is whether the Yanks decide to move shortstop Gleyber Torres, who committed nine errors in 40 games in 2020, over to second base. If so, it opens a hole up for Gregorius to return to the Bronx.

However, the Angels have a need for more pop in the middle infield. Luis Rengifo and Andrelton Simmons played second and short the most last year, and they combined for just one home run, 13 RBI and eight doubles in 63 games.

Outside of Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and David Fletcher, the Angels largely scuffled at the dish as well. Justin Upton notably hit .204, Shohei Ohtani struggled to a .190 batting average and Jo Adell hit just .161.

Gregorius would be a good fit for the Angels, but he'd be a welcome addition to any team in need of a shortstop. Given how he performed in 2020, expect there to be competition for his services.