The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are still in the midst of their search for a General Manager, and Rays vice president Andrew Friedman remains at the top of their list of candidates. However, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, it remains most likely that Friedman will remain with the Tampa Bay Rays:
The Angels remain highly interested in Tampa Bay General Manager Andrew Friedman, but their chances of luring the 34-year-old executive away from the Rays are slim, according to people familiar with the team's GM search who are not authorized to speak publicly on the topic.
The article goes on to state that Friedman's loyalty to Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is the largest obstacle. Friedman and Sternberg both joined the Rays together back in 2005, switching over from Wall Street to baseball. The entire Rays' front office seems to be a tight-knit bunch and Sternberg, Friedman, and Matt Silverman (the team president) are a night inseperable bunch. It's also been rumored -- although never confirmed -- that Friedman owns a share in the Rays, so he has more invested in the team than most other GMs.
The Angels are willing to offer Friedman the role of President, much like Theo Epstein's new role with the Cubs, and he would have considerably more financial flexibility than he currently has in Tampa Bay. But regardless, Friedman seems unlikely to switch allegiances at the moment. And if he's not willing to take on this role, it seems highly unlikely that Friedman will be moving anywhere in the near future.