Mariners hiring Jason Kanzler as next manager

The Seattle Mariners have hired Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler to be their next manager.

M’s make 12 roster moves, extend qualifying offer to Randy Arozarena

This will be the first managerial job for Kanzler, who has spent the past three seasons in his position with the Cubs. All three manager hires the M’s have made under president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto have been first-time skippers.

“Our goal in this process was finding a manager with the ability to challenge all of us to improve,” Dipoto said in a statement. “Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills, and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle.”

Prior to his time in Chicago, Kanzler spent five seasons with the Houston Astros. He was hired by Houston in 2019 and served as the hitting coach for High-A Fayetteville. He was set to serve as the hitting coach for Double-A Corpus Christi in 2020 before the minor-league season was canceled due to COVID-19. In 2021, he was promoted to minor-league hitting coordinator. He then joined the big league staff in 2022 when the Astros won their last World Series. And in 2023, he was given the title of assistant hitting coach.

A Penfield, N.Y., native, Kanzler spent the 2013-15 seasons as an outfielder in the Minnesota Twins’ organization, but never made it past High-A. He played collegiately at the University at Buffalo, which included twice being named to the Rawlings Gold Glove Team as an outfielder.

At 36 years old, Kanzler is set to become the youngest manager in Mariners history and the second youngest in the current MLB landscape. Only 34-year-old Washington Nationals skipper Blake Butera, who was hired last October when he was 33, is younger.

“I am thrilled to join the Mariners organization and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running,” Kanzler said. “This team has an immense amount of talent in all facets of the game, and my coaching staff and I are excited to access and unlock this team’s full potential.”

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Kanzler was a finalist for the job alongside former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada. Seattle also interviewed Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister, San Diego Padres baseball operations special assistant A.J. Ellis and Chicago White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven, per Rosenthal.

“Throughout the process, Jason consistently demonstrated elite leadership skills, high-end content and an ability to connect and partner with players, staff and front office,” general manager Justin Hollander said. “We all believe Jason is the right person to lead our organization back to the Postseason.”

Kanzler is set to take over a Mariners squad that is coming off one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. After making a run to Game 7 of the AL Championship Series in 2025, the M’s fell well short of their sky-high expectations this past season, finishing with a 76-86 record and in third place in a historically bad AL West.

Seattle’s underwhelming year ultimately led to a parting of ways with franchise icon Dan Wilson following his two-plus seasons as the club’s skipper. The Mariners went 187-171 under Wilson.

Kanzler will be tasked with helping the Mariners right their ship with likely much of the same core as they had this past season, with the likes of Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo set to return, among others. The club’s most notable free agents are Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford.

Kanzler will need to fill at least three spots on his coaching staff. The club on Sept. 28 announced bench coach Manny Acta, infield coach Perry Hill, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer and first base coach Eric Young Jr. will not return in 2027. However, CJ Gillman has reportedly been hired as the new hitting coach.

He will not need to replace Seattle’s two most recognizable coaches on the pitching side as the club retained pitching coach Pete Woodworth and director of pitching strategy Trent Blank. Third base coach Carlos Cardoza and bullpen coach Austin Nola are among the other notable coaches who currently remain on the staff.

Additionally, Dipoto in September said he expects director hitting strategy Edgar Martinez to remain with the organization, but he was unsure to what extent.

Seattle Mariners news and more

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