The Seattle Mariners have achieved their first big goal of the offseason: hiring a manager.
The team announced on Tuesday that they hired Jason Kanzler, who spent the last three seasons as the Chicago Cubs’ director of player development, as their new manager. Kanzler, 36, is the 22nd manager in team history.
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“I am thrilled to join the Mariners organization, and I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running,” Kanzler said in a statement. “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.”
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Coach Jason Kanzler of the Houston Astros poses for a photo during Photo Day at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., on March 16, 2022. (Getty Images)
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said the organization was looking for a manager who would challenge everyone to improve, and Kanzler fit the bill. The Mariners reached the ALCS in 2025 but regressed mightily last season, going 76-86. Kanzler will look to help the team return to its 2025 form.
“Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle,” Dipoto said in a statement.
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Houston Astros coach Jason Kanzler fist bumps designated hitter Yordan Alvarez during player introductions before Game 1 of the ALDS against the Seattle Mariners at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 11, 2022. (USA TODAY Sports)
Prior to joining the Cubs in 2024, Kanzler served as a coach for the Houston Astros at the major league level in 2022 and 2023. In 2022, when the Astros won the World Series, he served as a major league coach before becoming the assistant hitting coach in 2023.
Before joining the major leagues with Houston in 2022, Kanzler spent three years in the organization’s farm system, serving in various roles throughout the minor leagues.
Jason Kanzler runs safely toward third base during an April game at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers in 2015. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
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Prior to becoming a coach, he spent three seasons (2013-15) as an outfielder in the Minnesota Twins organization. Kanzler played for Class A Cedar Rapids and High-A Fort Myers and had a .249 batting average with a .720 OPS.