Nevin gets stamp of approval from his players

This story was excerpted from Rhett Bollinger’s Angels Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

ANAHEIM -- The Angels have some important decisions to make shortly after the season is over, especially with manager Phil Nevin’s one-year contract set to expire.

Nevin took over as interim manager last season when Joe Maddon was dismissed on June 7. The Angels went 46-60 the rest of the way and Nevin was brought back on a one-year pact. The Angels have gone 71-88 so far this season, giving Nevin a 117-148 record in his time with the club.

But Angels players enjoy playing for Nevin and several endorsed him recently, including superstar Mike Trout. It’s still unclear what the Angels plan to do, however, especially considering general manager Perry Minasian only has one year left on his deal. But Nevin's future should be resolved shortly after the season ends.

“I love Phil, I love playing for Phil,” Trout said. “He takes care of his guys. You know he wants the best for the team. And that was another thing about not being out there, because I know how much he cares about us.”

It’s obvious how much the players mean to Nevin and he makes it his goal to check in with them every day. Left-hander Reid Detmers and right-hander Griffin Canning both said they appreciate how much Nevin cares and how approachable he is.

“He’s very personable,” Detmers said. “You can talk to him about anything. He's straight up with you, which I love. He'll tell you how it is and that's what I think what players need. He’ll tell you if you're doing bad and he'll tell you if you're doing good. And that's more of a trust thing. So yeah, he was awesome. Couldn't ask for a better manager.”

Said Canning: “Phil is great, I love him. He’s a players’ coach, for sure. He stands up for his guys and does the right thing. So it’s fun to play for him.”

Nevin said it’s always good to hear positive things from his players but noted it’s ultimately up to the front office and ownership if he’ll be back next year.

“Is that stuff nice to hear? Sure,” Nevin said. “I'm not here to make friends or anything like that. I'm here to make those guys better and run a game. But I love being here. I love everything about it. Even coming and sitting with you guys every day. And you guys know how I feel about the players and my staff and the relationships I build every day with everybody.”

Nevin, though, made it very clear he’d love to remain Angels manager, as he grew up in nearby Placentia, Calif., and his goal was always to a big league skipper after his playing career ended.

“Of course, I want to be here,” Nevin said. “This is a dream job for me. I’m home and I’m doing what I love to do.”