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USATSI

The Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a contract extension with general manager Perry Minasian that will keep him around through 2026, the team announced Thursday.

Minasian, 44, became the 13th general manager in franchise history in November of 2020. He came to the Angels after serving as the Atlanta Braves' director of player personnel and then assistant general manager. With the Angels, Minasian signed a four-year contract, and that contract was set to expire after the current season. 

The Angels across Minasian's three-plus seasons at the helm have gone 277-336. That comes to a winning percentage of .452, which ranks 22nd among all Major League Baseball franchises over that span. During that time, Minasian has most notably presided over the peak seasons and eventual free-agent departure of two-way superstar and two-time American League MVP Shohei Ohtani. As well, franchise icon Mike Trout continues to deal with injuries, including season-ending knee surgery this year, as he tries to stave off his decline phase for as long as possible. Although the Angels under Minasian and even before then have shown no outward interest in trading Trout, the possibility, however remote, remains a consistent source of speculation. 

The Angels presently are bound headlong for the ninth straight losing season, and they haven't been a part of the postseason since 2014. As well, the farm system and young talent base do not compare favorably to that of many other rebuilding teams across the league. However, the Angels under owner Arte Moreno seem to be opting for stability at the top of baseball operations after cycling through several GMs in relatively short order prior to Minasian's hiring. Such fruitless churn has to some degree afforded Minasian a level of job security that doesn't seem justified by the team's recent performances. That said, rebuilding what's become of the Angels under Moreno is not easily or quickly achieved, and Minasian will now have more time to implement his full vision for the franchise.