Angels Firing Brad Ausmus After 1 Season Clearly Indicates They're Going After Joe Maddon

After just one season at the helm with the Los Angeles Angels, former big league catcher and Detroit Tigers skipper Brad Ausmus has been fired, according to ESPN's Buster Olney.

The Angels have fired Brad Ausmus.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) September 30, 2019

In his lone season, Ausmus led the Angels to another disappointing season, as they finished fourth in the division with a 72-90 record, and that's with Mike Trout having another MVP-caliber year. He didn't have the best luck though, considering Shohei Ohtani wasn't fully healthy and the starting rotation was a disaster.

There's only one reason why the Angels would do this: they want Joe Maddon.

Brad Ausmus' firing by the Los Angeles Angels, as @Buster_ESPN first reported, clears the way for Joe Maddon to return to the Angels, the team for whom he worked for 30 years. While it's not a fait accompli, a number of sources believe Maddon to the Angels is likely to happen.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 30, 2019

Any similarities here??

Ausmus dismissal after 1 year as manager (2 left on his contract), similar feel to Renteria dismissed by #Cubs after 1 yr of 3-yr pact because Maddon became available. #Angels
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) September 30, 2019

Maddon, who was not retained by the Chicago Cubs, is a perfect fit for the Angels, as he spent over 30 years in the organization, including interim stints at manager back in 1996 and 1999.

They won't admit right now, but the Angels will likely go full-speed ahead in bringing Maddon back to Los Angeles. If anyone can get Trout in the playoffs, you have to believe Maddon can.