Seattle Mariners appointed Jason Kanzler after a recruitment process that also shortlisted Joe Espada. The former Chicago Cubs player-development director takes over from Dan Wilson without previous managerial experience. Seattle is rebuilding its coaching staff after a disappointing season, with club officials highlighting Kanzler’s communication skills and work developing players.
The Seattle Mariners, a club in North America’s Major League Baseball, named Jason Kanzler as their new manager on 3 November. He arrives after three seasons directing player development for the Chicago Cubs. The appointment is his first managerial role at any level. He succeeds Dan Wilson, whose tenure ended after more than two years in charge.[1], [2]
Kanzler and former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada were the final two candidates. The last interviews were held at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park stadium, with ownership representatives, operations officials and members of the coaching staff involved. Kanzler becomes the 22nd manager in Mariners history. General manager Justin Hollander highlighted his ability to work with players, staff and the front office.[1]
Before joining the Cubs, Kanzler spent five seasons in the Houston Astros organization. He worked on the major league hitting staff in 2022 and 2023, including the World Series championship under Dusty Baker in 2022. Earlier roles took him from minor league coaching to coordinating Houston’s minor league hitting programme. Between playing professionally and coaching, he taught high school physics and chemistry near Houston.[1]
