The Angels will open a managerial search after deciding not to bring Kurt Suzuki back for 2027, ending a one-year run in the dugout that included the first 100-loss season in franchise history.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Suzuki’s age | 43 |
| Angels losses in 2026 | 100 |
| Suzuki’s MLB catching career | 16 seasons |
| Previous Angels special-assistant stint | 2023-25 |
A change coming with new ownership
Interim general manager John Mozeliak said the organization has offered Suzuki a chance to remain with the club as a special assistant. The decision to replace him as manager came after internal discussions and conversations with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which is expected to formally complete its purchase of the Angels early in 2027.
Mozeliak had indicated after the season that he hoped Suzuki could remain manager, though the incoming ownership group would have a say in the direction of the club. Suzuki had been hired on a one-year contract with an option, and the Angels chose not to exercise that option.
“Our discussions about 2027 and the years ahead helped guide the decision to pursue a new manager and coaching staff,” Mozeliak said. “Kurt has the respect of the clubhouse, and his commitment to the players has been clear. This season’s record does not, in my view, accurately show his ability to manage.”
Mozeliak said Suzuki’s familiarity with the roster would make him valuable in a special-assistant role and added that some members of the current staff have been offered other jobs within the organization.
Entire staff set to turn over
The Angels are expected to seek a new coaching staff as well. Their pitching improved late in the season after the club dismissed pitching coaches Mike Maddux and Dom Chiti, replacing them with Tim Leveque and Michael Wuertz, but the broader reset will extend through the staff.
There is also uncertainty above the manager’s office. Mozeliak’s contract expires in December, leaving unresolved whether he will continue as general manager into the ownership transition.
Suzuki’s Angels history
Suzuki had already built deep ties to the organization before taking the manager’s job. He worked as a special assistant from 2023 through 2025 after finishing his playing career with the Angels in 2021 and 2022.
The former catcher became the first Hawaii-born manager in Major League Baseball. Players and front-office personnel held him in high regard, but the losses ultimately outweighed that goodwill in his first season running the club. The Angels have left the door open for Suzuki to remain part of their baseball operation, even as they turn the dugout over to a new manager in 2027.
