Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop is buying into the direction Seattle is taking with its new coaching staff, and he says there’s a clear reason why.
Bishop appeared Wednesday on the “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast and spoke about his confidence in new manager Jason Kanzler and new bench coach Tanner Swanson, someone he knows from his time at the University of Washington.
Kanzler has drawn skepticism from some corners because of his background. He never reached the majors as a player, spending a few seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization in the minors before moving into player development and coaching roles. He’s 36 and has worked as a hitting coordinator with the Houston Astros and as farm director for the Chicago Cubs.
But Bishop sees value in that path. In his view, not having big league playing experience can actually force a coach to connect more directly with each player.
"...him stepping into an environment where he’s comfortable, like using his systems to give resources to the players.
And I think when you just teach, and this is my experience, when you just have people who teach off experience alone, you won’t connect with everybody.
And so I think a guy like a Kanzler, like, he doesn’t have the playing experience in the big leagues or the managerial experience in the big leagues to teach from that. And so he has to go real deep and figure out exactly 'how do I connect individually with each player?'
I think that’s why, in my interactions with him in the past, he was so impactful, was because it felt like, one, he’s very intense. He wants to win. And then he also has that ability to connect individually with each player and get the best out of them.
That’s key."
The Mariners appear to believe that same kind of communication will matter inside the clubhouse and throughout the organization. The sense is that messaging broke down somewhere in 2026, whether between the front office and staff, the staff and players, or both.
Seattle is counting on Kanzler to help close those gaps.
The club also seems focused on making sure development doesn’t stop once a player reaches the majors. With Kanzler and Swanson in place, the Mariners have leaned toward coaches who can keep teaching and keep pushing players forward after they arrive in Seattle.
The general manager’s meetings wrap up Thursday, and the Mariners will then have about 2.5 weeks to work out deals before the probable lockout. Seattle is said to be looking for infield help, bullpen help and offensive help.
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