Angels fire manager Kurt Suzuki after 100-loss season, decline 2027 option
In short
The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday after a 62-100 season, declining the 2027 option on his contract. Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak announced the decision and said Suzuki has been offered a role as special assistant.
Read the full story 2 min read
The Los Angeles Angels fired manager Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday after they lost 100 games in his only season in charge, the Boston Globe reported. Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak announced in a statement that the team had declined the 2027 option on Suzuki's contract. Suzuki has been offered the opportunity to stay with the organization as a special assistant. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
"Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse, and I've seen firsthand how much he cares about our players," Mozeliak said. "I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his true abilities as a manager." Mozeliak said he made the decision in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which agreed on Sept. 1 to buy controlling ownership of the Angels from Arte Moreno. [ 5 , 6 ]
The sale is not expected to close until next year, but the group led by Rams owner Stan Kroenke is already making significant changes, the Globe and Fox News reported. Right after the season ended last month, the Globe said, Mozeliak had said he would endorse Suzuki's return for next season. [ 5 , 6 ]
The Angels went 62-100, which the Globe and Fox News described as the first 100-loss season in franchise history. The Globe said they finished last in the AL West; Fox News said only the Colorado Rockies finished with more losses. Newsweek wrote that the Angels have not made the playoffs since 2014. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Suzuki ended a 16-year major league playing career as a catcher with the Angels in 2021-22. He had never managed at any level before general manager Perry Minasian hired him exactly one year ago. Minasian had employed him as a special assistant for the previous three seasons. Moreno fired Minasian last June, and Mozeliak, a longtime Cardinals general manager, stepped in on a temporary basis to run the front office while leading the search for a permanent general manager. That plan has been thrown into flux by Moreno's decision to sell, and Mozeliak did not indicate whether he has a long-term future in his job, according to the Globe. [ 5 , 6 ]
Newsweek reported that the Angels will now search for a replacement, who would be the team's sixth manager since 2019. The next manager will face offseason business that includes third baseman Anthony Rendon and catcher Travis d'Arnaud becoming free agents, and a decision on whether Mike Trout is traded or stays through his contract, which ends after the 2030 season. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The Boston Globe and Fox News say the change comes as Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which agreed to buy controlling ownership of the club, is already making significant changes, although the sale is not expected to close until next year. Newsweek reports that the team must now find a new manager and decide on several players this offseason.
Key facts
- The Angels fired manager Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday after one season in charge. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The team finished 62-100, which the Boston Globe and Fox News described as the first 100-loss season in franchise history. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak announced in a statement that the team had declined the 2027 option on Suzuki's contract. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Suzuki has been offered the chance to stay with the organization as a special assistant. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Mozeliak said he made the decision in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which agreed on Sept. 1 to buy controlling ownership of the Angels from Arte Moreno. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Suzuki had never managed at any level before the Angels hired him exactly one year ago. [ 5 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Angels fired Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday after the team went 62-100. [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The team declined the 2027 option on Suzuki's contract, according to a statement from John Mozeliak. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Suzuki has been offered a special assistant role with the organization. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Kroenke Sports & Entertainment agreed on Sept. 1 to buy controlling ownership of the Angels from Arte Moreno, and the sale is not expected to close until next year. [ 5 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Who will be the next Angels manager. Newsweek says the team will now start a search for a replacement; none of the documents names a candidate.
- Whether Mozeliak has a long-term future in his job. The Boston Globe reports he did not indicate whether he does; the transition plan for a permanent general manager has been thrown into flux by Moreno's decision to sell.
- Whether Suzuki will accept the special assistant role. The documents say only that it has been offered.