Angels To Have New Manager In 2027; Suzuki's Option Declined

There will be a new skipper in the Los Angeles Angels’ dugout for the 2027 campaign, as the club announced it has declined to bring back Kurt Suzuki after just one season as manager. According to The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Suzuki will be offered to stay with the organization in another role.

That leaves two vital vacancies in the Angels’ organization – still without a general manager and now searching for their next manager. Interim general manager John Mozeliak was vocal in his desire to bring Suzuki back, meaning he has already been overruled on an important decision. This could indicate the Angels will go another way with their GM role as well.

Suzuki was brought in on a one-year deal last offseason after the Angels were linked with other former players like Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter as their next manager. He would be the fifth Angels manager in five seasons.

In his first year as a manager, he led the Halos to a 62-100 record – the first triple-digit loss in the franchise’s history. How much of that was his fault and how much of it was him being dealt a bad hand is up for debate, although the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

The Angels weren’t expected to be a contender heading into the 2026 season, but Suzuki came under scrutiny several times throughout the season for poor decision-making as skipper. After all, what would you expect from a first-time manager trying to lead one of the worst-run organizations in American sports?

While his tenure as manager was expected to be rough and short-lived, considering he was only given a one-year deal, the Angels did end up having their worst season in their 66-year history. Suzuki’s name will forever be attached to that.

It was only a matter of time before the news became official, but now that Suzuki’s departure is confirmed, it’s time to get going on the search for the next Angels manager. Many of the names from last offseason are still available: Pujols, Hunter, and Alex Cora, to name a few.

Looking at the bigger picture, though, the Angels are simply in an unfavorable spot. They will be conducting this managerial search with a general manager who may not be the general manager by the offseason’s end – a general manager who has already been spoken over regarding Suzuki’s departure.

It brings up the question of how good of a chance the next Angels manager will have at finding success. The roster should be improved, but it will likely still be a bottom team in the American League. The front office is still getting sorted out, and an ownership change is in the works.

More than anything, 2027 will be a transition season for the Angels, not one that is expected to bring much on-field success. Who could the Angels convince to right the ship?