The Los Angeles Angels' decision to bring in new manager Ron Washington this offseason was in part due to his ability to work with infielders, and the Angels' inability to defend the diamond last year.
The veteran manager has been known to get the most out of infielders throughout his career, and the Angels valued his approach.
Through the early part of spring training, Washington has started to instill his plan of attack in the team. This includes his high-energy approach, which players have seemingly been very open to.
But Washington has taken a special internet in one particular player: veteran infielder Miguel Sanó, who signed a minor-league deal with the Halos earlier in the offseason.
The Angels skipper is known as an infield coaching expert, a legend at that particular craft. And he has taken a direct interest in Sanó.
Sanó is looking to get his career back on track after being out of the league last season. He was known for being one of the better power hitters in baseball for a few years, hitting 34 home runs in 2019.
The veteran has struggled with consistency throughout his career, and his batting average has dipped over time. But Washington is looking forward to the challenge of getting Sanó back on track, especially on the defensive side of the field.
“There’s two types of defensive players. There’s those that can play defense and those that know how to play defense. In Angels camp 2024, they’re learning how to play defense, they’re not just playing defense. He just plays defense. Now he’s getting ready to learn how to play defense. There’s a big difference.”
This may be the last chance for Sanó to save his career, and it seems he is taking it seriously. He showed up to camp about 60 pounds lighter than he had been and is hopeful to show the rest of the league what he can do.
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