Kurt Suzuki will not return as manager of the Los Angeles Angels after leading the team to a franchise-record 100 losses in his only season at the helm. The Angels announced on Wednesday that Suzuki, 43, who had a club option for 2027, will instead be offered a special assistant role within the organisation.
Interim general manager John Mozeliak praised Suzuki’s impact in the clubhouse despite the poor results. “Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse, and I’ve seen firsthand how much he cares about our players,” Mozeliak said. “I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his abilities as a manager.” Mozeliak added that Suzuki’s knowledge of the players and perspective would continue to be valuable in his new position.
Suzuki took over as manager this year after serving as a special assistant to former Angels GM Perry Minasian from 2023 to 2025. His appointment was unusual in that he had no prior coaching or managerial experience and was signed to a one-year contract. Minasian was fired in June and replaced on an interim basis by Mozeliak.
When asked by The Athletic in September about his future, Suzuki said: “We haven’t really dove deep into it. We’ve had really good conversations about philosophies and stuff like that. We haven’t really talked about next steps … Would I like to be here? Of course I would.”
The 2026 campaign was a bleak one for the Angels, who lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history. The team has not reached the postseason since 2014 and has not won a playoff game since 2009, marking the longest droughts in Major League Baseball.
The Angels have seen a rapid turnover in management during recent years. Suzuki will be the fifth full-time manager in six seasons, joining Joe Maddon (2020-22), Phil Nevin (2022-23), Ron Washington (2024-25), and Suzuki himself in 2026. Bench coach Ray Montgomery managed the final 88 games of the 2025 season while Washington was away due to a medical issue.
The franchise is also undergoing significant ownership changes. Longtime owner Arte Moreno agreed to sell the Angels to Stan Kroenke for $4 billion in September. Mozeliak has expressed interest in taking over the team’s baseball operations permanently, but remains interim GM for now. It is expected that a new permanent GM will be appointed before the Angels hire their next manager.
Alongside the Angels, the American League West currently has two other managerial vacancies, with the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners also searching for new managers. The Angels’ search will follow the appointment of a new GM, adding further uncertainty to the team’s direction after a difficult season.
Suzuki’s move to a special assistant role keeps him within the organisation, but the Angels will start their search for a new manager to lead a team that has struggled to find consistent success in recent years.
According to CBS.
