Bud Black says he is happy to be back with the Angels

On this afternoon, Mike Trout and the Angels are 30 miles from here. There is no Cactus League game at Tempe Diablo Stadium, but Bud Black is floating among the practice fields that back up against 48th Street.

The Angels’ minor league system is ranked as the worst in baseball. As cars whiz past the utilitarian fields, Black is seeing for himself what the minor league pitchers look like, and is stepping in and tutoring them whenever he sees fit.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. At the end of October, the Washington Nationals reportedly had chosen Black as their new manager. At the start of November, amid reports Black and the team could not agree on a contract, the Nationals hired Dusty Baker.

The Dodgers then invited Black for an interview to be their manager, but he was not among the three finalists. He agreed to join the Angels’ front office even before the Dodgers selected Dave Roberts.

“I think they were pretty far down the line with what they wanted to do,” Black said.

The Angels had been in touch all along. They had a vacancy at general manager, although Black said he was not considered. They had no vacancy at manager. However, through conversations with Angels President John Carpino and interim general manager Bill Stoneman, the team left a door open for Black if no team hired him as manager.

Black won’t discuss what happened with the Nationals. After seven years as pitching coach for the Angels and nine more as manager for the San Diego Padres, he says he is happy to be back in Anaheim.

“I really like being here,” he said. “I’ve been fortunate that things worked out and I was able to be here.”

His title is special assistant to the general manager, Billy Eppler.

Eppler, in his first year in Anaheim, said he is not threatened by Black’s strong relationship with Angels ownership and with Manager Mike Scioscia. Those bonds were one of the reasons Eppler told friends he wanted to hire Black if he got the Angels job.

Black is primarily working with pitchers this spring, in the major and minor leagues, and advising Scioscia and Eppler. When the season starts, Eppler said Black would make an occasional trip with the Angels, visit the Angels’ minor league clubs and evaluate potential targets in trade, free agency, and the amateur draft.

The return of Black, according to Scioscia, is one of the reasons that there is a new and strong tie between the front office and the coaching staff.

“The baseball conversation is really going well with all of us,” Scioscia said. “Buddy is one of the most respected guys in baseball, and one of the most knowledgeable. He has great people skills. We’re definitely happy to have him.”

Eppler said Black has “an extremely high degree of baseball acumen.” Black said he would be open to managing again, but he bristles at the perception he is simply using the Angels as a landing spot between managerial jobs.

Eppler said he is not worried about that.

“I worry about how he can impact our organization on a day-to-day basis,” Eppler said. “He’s had a significant impact. Our working relationship is phenomenal. The rest will take care of itself.”

As the rotation turns

Hector Santiago made the All-Star team last season, but his second half was rocky enough that he was not assured of a rotation spot when the Angels opened camp.

“You never know,” he said. “There’s probably a spot for me right now.”

It’s hard to see how there couldn’t be. The Angels opened camp with eight candidates for the rotation, but C.J. Wilson and Tyler Skaggs are expected to open the season on the disabled list, and Jered Weaver might.

Santiago has a 3.00 earned-run average, the lowest of any starter except Andrew Heaney. If Weaver cannot go, the Angels are down to five starters for five spots. Even if Weaver can go, it is difficult to see the Angels picking Nick Tropeano (6.23) and Matt Shoemaker (9.00) over Santiago.

“He’s in the mix for one of our spots,” Scioscia said.

Santiago said the Angels emphasize competition and would be unlikely to tell him that he had made the rotation until the last possible moment.

“They never have,” he said. “They never will.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Twitter: @BillShaikin