Angels fire pitching coach Mike Butcher, hitting coach Don Baylor
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 19: Pitching Coach Mike Butcher #23 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim stands in the dugout prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on June 19, 2015 in Oakland, California. The Angels defeated the Athletics 12-7. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Angels will not bring back pitching coach Mike Butcher and hitting coach Don Baylor.
New general manager Billy Eppler announced in a statement Tuesday night that the team would not renew the coaches' contracts.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Butcher joined the Angels as pitching coach in 2006 and said in the team's statement that he'd talked at length with team president John Carpino and Eppler since the general manager's hiring last week. Butcher said the parties "mutually agreed this might be a good time for change."
Baylor, who won an MVP with the Angels in 1979, had been the team's hitting coach since 2014. Twice a big league manager, he's been coaching in the majors for 23 seasons. The Angels finished last in the AL with a .246 batting average and 12th with 661 runs scored this season.
The Angels went 85-77 and missed the playoffs by one game. Manager Mike Scioscia is expected to return.