Atkins interviewed for the Angels GM job a month ago.
A pitcher for Cleveland from 1995 to 1999 (LINK), Atkins was named the director of player development for the Indians in 2006, after having served as the director of Latin American operations for three years prior. In his development role, he oversaw all aspects of player development, including Cleveland's six minor-league affiliates, as well as their Latin American program in the Dominican Republic. In 2014, Atkins was promoted to VP of player personnel. All in all, Ross Atkins has been a part of the Indians organization for over 15 years. He has also received praise from Cleveland's GM Chris Antonetti, who sees him as a future GM candidate. Well, the future is now, apparently.