Angels Part Ways With Manager Kurt Suzuki After Dismal Season

WHO:

Orange County Register - Kurt Suzuki said he was unsure about accepting the Angels’ special-assistant position because other organizations had expressed interest in him for major-league jobs.

Orange County Register - Suzuki said, “I think through all the turmoil that we went through, I feel like the clubhouse always was strong. The guys never gave up. They played to the end.”

MLB Trade Rumors - Kurt Suzuki said he was unsure whether to accept the Angels’ special-assistant offer because he had received interest from other organizations.

MLB Trade Rumors - Albert Pujols, a special assistant in the Angels’ baseball operations department and a future Hall of Famer, interviewed for managerial openings with the Angels and Padres the previous offseason.

MLB.com - The Angels offered Kurt Suzuki a role as a special assistant, and offered positions within the organization to some coaching staff members.

MLB.com - Interim general manager John Mozeliak said he wanted Suzuki to remain manager, but the decision was up to the incoming ownership group.

MLB.com - Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is set to purchase the Angels.

Newsweek - Kurt Suzuki is a former MLB player who completed his first season as a manager.

NY Post - The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Kurt Suzuki.

WHAT:

NBC Sports - The Angels finished last in the AL West with a 62-100 record during Kurt Suzuki’s only season as manager.

Orange County Register - The Angels’ next manager will be their eighth in 10 seasons, counting acting manager Ray Montgomery’s stint after Ron Washington underwent heart surgery.

Orange County Register - The Angels’ leadership changes included Molly Jolly taking over as team president, Perry Minasian’s dismissal and the firing of pitching coaches.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014 or had a winning season since 2015.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Angels will hire a full-time general manager for the 2027 season; John Mozeliak said he will not be the hire.

MLB Trade Rumors - No candidates had been interviewed for the general-manager position, and Mozeliak said he expected to step aside when a new front-office leader was hired.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Angels traded José Soriano to the Blue Jays and Jo Adell to the Guardians at the trade deadline, receiving four prospects: Arjun Nimmala, Eddie Micheletti, Angel Rivero and Jacob Cozart.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Angels kept Reid Detmers and Zach Neto, who are eligible for free agency after 2028 and 2029, respectively.

MLB.com - The Angels’ pitching improved late in the season after pitching coaches Mike Maddux and Dom Chiti were dismissed and replaced by Tim Leveque and Michael Wuertz.

MLB.com - The Angels dismissed Mike Maddux and two staffers in August after John Mozeliak concluded the team was not fully using the technology and analytics available to its pitchers.

Fox News - The Angels had the second-most losses in the 2026 regular season; only the Colorado Rockies had more.

Fox News - Suzuki had never managed at any level before the Angels hired him.

Fox News - Suzuki’s replacement will be the Angels’ seventh manager in nine seasons since the team parted ways with Mike Scioscia.

Fox News - The Angels have had 11 consecutive losing seasons and 12 consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, the longest active streaks in MLB.

Fox News - The Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros are also seeking new managers.

MLB.com - Mike Trout’s 4.1 Baseball-Reference WAR ranked seventh among American League outfielders; he recorded -5 Outs Above Average and ranked in the 83rd percentile for sprint speed.

MLB.com - Wade Meckler could take over in right field after a breakout season.

MLB.com - Bryce Teodosio hit .200/.246/.273 across 98 career games over three seasons.

MLB.com - Free-agent center-field possibilities include Daulton Varsho, Trent Grisham, Tyrone Taylor, TJ Friedl and Cedric Mullins.

MLB Trade Rumors - The Angels dismissed general manager Perry Minasian in June before hiring John Mozeliak on an interim basis.

MLB Trade Rumors - Pujols withdrew from the Angels’ managerial search after he and owner Arte Moreno reportedly could not agree on years and compensation.

MLB.com - Mike Trout is slated to move from center field to left field in 2027 after playing 142 games in 2026, his most since 159 games in 2016. He hit .242/.382/.421 with 22 home runs, 26 doubles, 11 stolen bases and 54 RBIs, and was selected as an All-Star for the 12th time.

MLB.com - Bryce Teodosio, Nelson Rada and Hayden Alvarez are potential internal center-field options. Rada, the Angels’ No. 6 prospect, hit .278/.376/.363 with three home runs, 22 doubles and 43 stolen bases in 128 Triple-A games; Alvarez was MLB Pipeline’s No. 98 prospect.

MLB.com - The Angels declined Suzuki’s contract option and will seek a new manager and coaching staff.

MLB.com - Mozeliak said, “I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his abilities as a manager.”

MLB.com - Suzuki, 43, previously served as an Angels special assistant from 2023-25 and played for the team from 2021-22, ending his 16-year career as a catcher.

MLB.com - Suzuki became the first Hawaiian-born MLB manager.

Newsweek - The Angels posted 100 losses during Suzuki’s first season as manager.

NY Post - The Angels fired Suzuki after a 62-100 season.

NY Post - The season’s 100 losses set a record for the most losses in the Angels’ 66-year history.

WHERE:

NY Post - The team is the Los Angeles Angels.

WHEN:

Orange County Register - MLB owners are expected to lock out players on Dec. 1, freezing most player movement over the winter.

Orange County Register - John Mozeliak said he would attend the GM Meetings, scheduled for Nov. 9-11, on the Angels’ behalf.

MLB.com - Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is set to officially purchase the club in early 2027.

MLB.com - Mozeliak’s contract is up in December, and whether he will remain general manager is unclear.

WHY:

Orange County Register - Suzuki said his departure was not surprising because new ownership would bring in its preferred leadership, adding, “I know it’s part of the gig. It is what it is.”

Orange County Register - Suzuki said the decision not to retain him was unsurprising, saying new ownership would bring in its preferred leadership and that “it is what it is.”

MLB Trade Rumors - The incoming general manager will decide on the Angels’ next manager and have strong input on the club’s plans to return to contention.

MLB Trade Rumors - Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register first reported that Suzuki would not return as manager and had been offered a role with the organization.

MLB.com - Mozeliak said Trout initiated the move to left field to reduce wear on his body and help him finish his career strong.

MLB.com - Mozeliak said conversations with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s leadership and others shaped the decision to seek a new manager and coaching staff.

NY Post - The article links Suzuki’s firing to the Angels’ 62-100 season.

HOW:

Orange County Register - John Mozeliak said he would coordinate the general-manager search, and the new hire would choose the next manager.

The Los Angeles Angels have parted ways with manager Kurt Suzuki after his first season ended with a 62-and-100 record, the worst in the franchise’s 66-year history. The Angels finished last in the AL West and extended their streaks to 11 losing seasons and 12 seasons without a playoff appearance. The team declined Suzuki’s contract option and will hire a new manager and coaching staff. Interim general manager John Mozeliak said he wanted Suzuki to stay, adding that the record did not reflect Suzuki’s abilities, but the incoming ownership group will shape the club’s leadership. The Angels offered Suzuki a special-assistant role, though he said he was unsure about accepting because other organizations had expressed interest in him for major-league jobs. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is set to purchase the team in early 2027, and the Angels plan to hire a full-time general manager for the 2027 season.