Who is new Mariners manager Jason Kanzler? Jon Morosi’s insight

The Seattle Mariners have made their choice to be the 22nd manager in team history, hiring Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler just over a month after moving on from Dan Wilson as the skipper.

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There’s not much known about the 36-year-old Kanzler, who has never managed in pro ball and didn’t play above High-A. He has coached in the big leagues, though, spending 2022 and 2023 as an assistant coach with the Houston Astros before taking on the player development role with the Cubs in 2024. The Astros won their second World Series championship when Kanzler was on staff in ’22.

Somebody who has some insight on Kanzler is MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, who shared what he had learned about Kanzler during his weekly conversation with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob last Tuesday, Oct. 27.

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Here’s what Morosi had to say about Kanzler a week before the Mariners made him their new skipper.

Communication comes through

By everything I’ve been told, in the Mariners’ interview process, Kanzler has interviewed very well. He’s a very smart guy. He’s certainly a very eloquent speaker, really understands how to communicate messages, has had success with the Cubs – you think about how many young players they’ve had come through there. So you’re right, there is less known about Kanzler, but from what I’ve told, he’s really impressed the Mariner front office.

A modern baseball mind

From talking to people that know him and have worked with him, he is very methodical, process-oriented, understands the language of analytics but also has done coaching at the major league level, and so it’s a nice combination. Very young, obviously doesn’t have the major league managerial experience, but… I think especially if you’re looking at finding ways to speak the language of player development of the modern game, Kanzler is someone who would do that very, very well.

You can hear the full Wyman and Bob conversation with MLB Network insider Jon Morosi at this link or in the podcast below. Catch Wyman and Bob live from 2-7 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

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