Halloween, Oct. 31, is emerging as the day to watch in the Seattle Mariners’ managerial search, and another name has now moved into the conversation.
Along with Joe Espada, Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler has been identified as a serious candidate for the open job, according to a report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal also confirmed former Minnesota Twins manager and current Los Angeles Dodgers special assistant to Baseball Operations Rocco Baldelli and Espada as serious candidates, while noting that other candidates remain under consideration.
Kanzler has spent the past three seasons in his current role with the Cubs. Before that, he worked in Houston as a minor league hitting coordinator and a major league hitting coach, and he was on the Astros’ staff during their 2022 World Series championship run.
Rosenthal reported that Kanzler worked closely with Jeremy Pena and Alex Bregman, and that his relationship with Bregman helped the Cubs land him in free agency this offseason.
There are clear reasons Seattle would look hard at him. Like Espada, Kanzler brings experience from the Astros’ system, and he also has a background in analytics and research and development from his time with both Houston and Chicago. That could give the Mariners a better read on how rival organizations evaluate them, while also offering a more direct, hands-on managerial style than the one previously provided by Dan Wilson.
His track record with hitters also stands out. Kanzler found common ground with Pena and Bregman, two players who each worked through their own stretches of struggle. Bregman was already an established veteran when Kanzler began working with him, while Pena debuted in the same season the Astros won the title and later took home American League Championship Series and World Series MVP honors in 2022.
That kind of background could matter for a Mariners roster expected to feature a mix of veterans and younger players next season, including Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and Josh Naylor alongside Colt Emerson, Michael Arroyo and Lazaro Montes.
The obvious drawback is the lack of managerial experience. Jerry Dipoto said in his end-of-season news scrum that a major league managerial background was not required, though it was preferred.
Kanzler’s blend of development, data work and front-office familiarity may make him an appealing fit, but Seattle is also fresh off disappointing endings with two first-time managers in Scott Servais and Wilson. A third straight first-year hire would bring more questions, and plenty of scrutiny.
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