Bud Black is speaking on the record again (outside that MLB Radio guest host gig). He is not, however, speaking just yet about his dismissal from the Padres in June, let alone those contract talks that dissolved just as it appeared he’d bagged the Nationals’ managerial job earlier this offseason.

His appointment to the Angels’ front office as a special assistant to new General Manager Billy Eppler officially announced Wednesday, Black kept his comments largely on his new job as opposed to anything that occurred over a “unique” offseason.”

“We’re getting the band back together,” Black told MLB.com. “I’m excited about it.”

A pitching coach under Mike Scioscia (2000-06) before spending the last eight-plus seasons as the Padres’ manager, Black touched briefly on his new role, his future in the game and a return to an Angels team stocked with some of the best talent in the game:


“With a general manager these days, it’s a very demanding job. Those who are around him and close to him – his staff, Mike, others – he has to obviously lean on a number of people in the organization. I will be one of those guys that will lend Billy all the support that I can.”

“I think any of us in this game, we never know what lies ahead. And I think that we take those steps as they come. I will continue to do that. I loved coaching with the Angels, loved managing the Padres. We’ll see what lies ahead. But managing is a great challenge that I enjoy.”

“Any time you have the leaders in the organization – from ownership down to the front office down to the field staff – who have a passion and a desire to win, that’s a great combination. And I know that the Angels have that. The talent base, obviously led by Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, is a great place to start. I know what their objective is every year. I know Billy’s vision and Mike’s vision are aligned of where they want to get to. It’s going to be great to be a part of that.”

Naturally, the job description that Eppler offered didn’t provide a lot of clarity outside the fact that the Angels hired a baseball man to influence baseball decisions by watching baseball and talking to baseball people.

“I think he can affect a lot of different areas,” Eppler told MLB.com. “He can impact the front office, impact Major League operations, impact Minor League operations, impact scouting.”