Mike Scioscia

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia has decided to return to the team next season, choosing to forgo the opt-out clause in his contract, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

"I'm coming back," Scioscia simply said, per Fletcher.   

Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia commented on the Josh Hamilton situation on Monday, offering his opinion of the team's star player.      

Scioscia talked about what he feels is a frustrating situation and added that he hopes to personally meet with Hamilton to get an update, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times:

Los Angeles Angels skipper Mike Scioscia reached the 1,300-win plateau as a manager with Monday night's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, per the Angels' official Twitter feed.

The Los Angeles Angels enter their fourth straight spring training without the leftover confidence of making the playoffs the previous season. Consequently, with a good-sized payroll and star power on the roster, that scenario leaves a little bit of pressure to get things turned around right now.

And what better time to tidy up a mess than during the spring.

There is a headline that constantly scrolls in my mind every time predictions begin to swirl around the Los Angeles Angels’ offseason moves—each scenario popping with the lights of a ‘50s-style camera.

Big names. Big money. Big moves. Big…mistakes?

Pop!

It never fails—especially in the past few seasons—making the Angels one of the more intriguing organizations to watch in the winter.

Just blame it on the manager.

In Major League Baseball, when a team that appears dominant on paper but underperforms on the field, managers tend to take the brunt of the fault. Often times, they’ll lose their jobs because of it even though they aren’t the ones playing.

During a contest that saw the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim lose to the Chicago White Sox in extra innings, manager Mike Scioscia argued an umpire's call so vehemently that he took the rather extreme step of filing an official protest.

"The players make the manager. It's never the other way."—Hall of Famer Sparky Anderson

It's not easy being a manager in Major League Baseball these days.

Four games into the Angels' season, there is a clamoring among fans for Fernando Rodney to be taken out of the closer role. Rodney struggled to record the save during Thursday's opener after allowing one hit, one walk and two strikeouts on 26 pitches in the ninth inning.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS 

Last Year: 80-82, 3rd in AL West  

Manager: Mike Scioscia 

PROJECTED LINEUP 

C- Jeff Mathis (R) 

1B- Kendry Morales (S) (Will start season on DL)

2B- Howie Kendrick (R)

3B- Maicer Izturis (S) or Alberto Callaspo (S)

SS- Erick Aybar (S)

LF- Vernon Wells (R)

CF- Peter Bourjos (R)

RF- Torii Hunter (R)

DH- Bobby Abreu (L)