Los Angeles Angels coach Bo Porter told The Athletic last week that he wants another shot at managing and is very interested in the Angels’ current vacancy, which he interviewed for the last time it was open.
“I would enjoy managing the Angels because I’ve been there the last two years, I’ve made an investment there,” said Porter, who ended up on Ron Washington’s staff when he didn’t get the skipper job, “The relationships have already been fortified.”
Porter said the Angels haven’t contacted him to interview this time around, though he has told general manager Perry Minasian of his interest. When the Angels announced they were moving on from Washington, they told their coaches, including Porter, they were free to look for other jobs around the league. The Angels, who initially looked like they could have a rather quick manager search, have backed off the favorite, Albert Pujols, and last week expanded their list to other candidates. However, some of the candidates on The Athletic’s reported list have yet to hear from the Angels, signifying perhaps that owner Arte Moreno isn’t in a huge rush to do a more thorough search.
“I expressed my interest to him that I would love to interview for the job,” Porter said. “That’s something (Minasian) would have to take back to Arte and they can make that decision. I believe I have a lot to offer to any organization that gives me a second chance.”
Porter managed the rebuilding Houston Astros for two seasons, 2013 and 2014, before he was fired that September. The organization brought in A.J. Hinch for his second managerial job later that month and went on to a wild-card berth in 2015, starting a dynasty that would win the World Series in 2017, marred by a sign-stealing scandal that led to a suspension for Hinch following the 2019 season.
Porter, 53, took his first MLB coaching job as the Florida Marlins’ third-base coach in 2007. Other coaching stops include the Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals before Porter got the Astros gig. Following his time in Houston, Porter was a coach for the Atlanta Braves and then spent a decade off the field in a variety of roles, including as a special assistant for MLB Network, in the commissioner’s office and in the broadcast booth. Porter said his time on Washington’s staff lit the fire to manage again even more.
“Now that I’ve been back on the field with managerial experience, you see the game through a different lens, the game slows down because you’ve been in that position where you made those decisions,” Porter said. “I’m better prepared to manage. I needed to get back on the field.”
Porter, who was moved from first to third base this season with the Angels, said he’s open to coaching if he doesn’t get another managerial job. Besides the Angels, the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals have managerial vacancies. The Texas Rangers already hired Skip Schumaker and the San Francisco Giants are closing in on Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello, as The Athletic first reported.
“There’s a shift coming back where playing experience is becoming more of a priority as it relates to managing the game and the bandwidth it takes to manage,” said Porter, who was also a former player. “I believe everyone deserves an opportunity, before I got my opportunity someone could have said he has never managed before. At the same time, I think there are definitely advantages and a benefit to those of us that have done the job because of the lessons learned when you go through the job the first time.”