A’s executive Owens in running for Angels’ GM job
Billy Owens, the A’s executive who was considered a potential candidate to be the Giants’ general manager before the team hired Scott Harris, is being considered for the Angels’ top baseball job.
Owens, 49, is Oakland’s assistant general manager and director of player personnel, and he’s long been known as one of the best informed and most energetic talent evaluators in the game. “He’s an encyclopedia,” former A’s first baseman Scott Hatteberg told The Chronicle last year. “The guy knows everything about everyone.”
Owens, who is from San Jose, has not yet interviewed for the general manager position with the Angels, who fired Billy Eppler last month. MLB. com’s Jon Morosi was the first to report the Angels’ interest in Owens.
The Chronicle has learned that A’s owner John Fisher has agreed to preserve almost all of the baseball operations department, with more than 90% of the staff returning for 2021 — which was certainly not a given after a year with no fan revenue.
There were notable trims, however:
Longtime scout, minorleague coach and manager Rick Magnante was let go after 25 years with the team. Magnante, 72, signed Cy Young winner Barry Zito, Rookie of the Year Bobby Crosby and outfielder Eric Byrnes, among others, and he managed in the World Baseball Classic. “I’m disappointed and sad, but I’m also appreciative and grateful,” Magnante said, adding that he is not ready to retire and would like to stay in the game. Northern California amateur scout Kevin Mello, who signed reliever Blake Treinen and this year’s firstround pick, catcher Tyler Soderstrom. Mello attended San Francisco State and started his career with the A’s as an intern. The team has a large number of evaluators in the area and plan to cover the territory with fewer people. Former A’s infielder Hiram Bocachica, a coach at TripleA Las Vegas, was one of numerous minorleague staff members let go because of the expected minorleague contraction next year. With two fewer teams, shortseason Vermont and one of the rookieleague Arizona clubs, the A’s also bid farewell to former minorleague manager Aaron Nieckula, who played in both the Oakland and San Francisco systems, along with Class A Stockton coach Javier Herrera and Vermont pitching coach Carlos Chavez. Texasbased amateur scout Chris Reilly, who signed outfielder/ star quarterback Kyler Murray, was allowed to leave to take a job with the Red Sox, and the A’s let go of another Texas area scout, Steve Cohen. They’ll move personnel to cover those baseballrich territories.
The Chronicle also has learned of some interesting promotions in the organization: Crosby, who was slated to manage at Stockton before the shutdown eliminated the minorleague season, will manage DoubleA Midland next year, and another former Oakland infielder, Adam Rosales, will manage the team’s rookie club in Arizona.
In addition, former A’s prospect and brief callup Tommy Everidge, who is from Sonoma, will be the hitting coach at Las Vegas and former bigleague first baseman Rico Brogna will manage the low Class A team, which is expected to move from Beloit, Wis., to Vancouver, according to a source.