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Mariners Aiming For Roughly $166MM In “Starting Point” Payroll In 2026

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The Mariners finished the 2025 season with a payroll within the range of around $165.2MM (as per calculations from Cot’s Baseball Contracts) to $166.2MM (according to RosterResource).  Either of these projections stand as the largest payroll figure in franchise history, topping the roughly $161.8MM that Cot’s estimated as Seattle’s season-ending budget for its 40-man roster in 2018.

It looks like the club will keep spending at at least this higher level in 2026, as president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude and other reporters at the season wrap-up press conference on Thursday.  When asked what the Mariners’ payroll would be for next season, Dipoto said “I would say similar to where we ended the year, as a starting point,” with the potential to boost spending during the season for trade deadline additions.

This is exactly what the M’s did at this past deadline, landing Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez in separate trades with the Diamondbacks and also bringing in left-hander Caleb Ferguson from the Pirates.  These swaps added roughly $9.5MM to Seattle’s payroll but the money was clearly worth it.  Naylor went nuclear during the remainder of the regular season and through the playoffs, Ferguson pitched well in the regular season, and Suarez was a little more inconsistent but had some big postseason moments (like his two homers in Game 5 of the ALCS).

The deadline spending was a notable step forward for a team that has largely kept its spending in check for the last two offseasons, owing largely to uncertainty over TV broadcasting rights.  Dipoto has long maintained that ownership would increase payroll as the team got deeper into regular contention, and while this wasn’t exactly the case following the Mariners’ playoff appearance in 2022, upper management did indeed step forward to approve a larger budget this summer.

“This was always the goal, to methodically build toward what we were doing,” Dipoto said.  “And I’m comfortable that the resources that we’re given, we’re going to have every ability to go out and put together a championship-quality team.  And like we have in recent years, when we get into the right position, I’m certain that we will be aggressive in doing the next thing.”

In terms of money on the Mariners’ books for 2026, RosterResource projects the team at slightly under $132MM in payroll, and Cot’s with a slightly higher total of roughly $132.4MM.  This would seemingly leave about $34MM in payroll capacity for Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander to work with this winter, and of course some more money could be freed up by non-tenders or trades.

Dipoto has stated multiple times that the M’s would love to re-sign Naylor in free agency, so assuming that happens, Naylor alone will take up a significant portion of available payroll space.  With Naylor as the stated top priority, the perception is that Suarez likely won’t be retained, while Jorge Polanco (who is expected to reject his player option and re-enter free agency) is a bit more of a 50-50 proposition.  Chances are that Seattle will focus its energies on Naylor first and then turn to Polanco, or potentially to other first base options should Naylor sign elsewhere.

As always, expect plenty of trade speculation about the possibility of the Mariners trading from their rotation depth.  The cost of keeping the starting five together is on the rise, as Logan Gilbert and George Kirby are due significant arbitration raises and Bryce Miller is now arb-eligible for the first time.  Dipoto wasn’t as adamant about not trading starting pitching as he was last winter, but it is fair to assume that it would take a huge offer to get the M’s to even consider moving any of their top five starters.

Jason Varitek To Return To Red Sox Coaching Staff

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The Red Sox and Jason Varitek are in the final stages of a new multi-year contract for the 53-year-old to return to the team’s coaching staff, MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reports.  The official announcement “is expected soon,” McAdam writes, and chances are the two sides may just be waiting until either the end of the World Series or until an off-day.  The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that Varitek has agreed to a new deal.

Varitek has been part of Boston’s coaching staff in each of the last five seasons, all as a game-planning coordinator.  He was also a catching coach from 2021-24, but his job title was switched to game-planning and run prevention coach prior to this season.  It isn’t known if he’ll return to that job or if Varitek might have some different responsibilities in 2026, but whatever the capacity, he’ll be back as a trusted member of Alex Cora’s staff.

Most coaches generally operate on year-to-year contracts, but Varitek’s previous deal was a three-year pact covering the 2023-25 seasons.  McAdam speculates that Varitek’s forthcoming contract could be a two-year deal, in order to line Varitek up with Cora (whose contract is up after the 2027 campaign).

Acquired from the Mariners in a trade at the 1997 deadline, Varitek spent his entire 15-season playing career in a Red Sox uniform, and he has remained with the organization since he retired from on-field action.  He worked as a special assistant within the front office before also taking on a roving catching instructor role in 2020, prior to his formal designation as part of the big league coaching staff in 2021.

Poll: Are The Mets Likelier To Re-Sign Pete Alonso Or Edwin Diaz?

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Coming off an epic collapse and a non-playoff season, there are plenty of questions facing the Mets heading into the offseason.  As the club explores ways to get better, however, they face a couple of big decisions just in regards to keeping two long-time roster staples in first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz.  Alonso has already said he will be declining his $24MM player option for 2026 in order to re-enter free agency, and Diaz is widely expected to test the market as well by declining his player options for the 2026-27 seasons (as per the terms of Diaz’s deal, he must exercise or decline both options at once).

Many Mets fans will make the point that the club could or should just re-sign both players.  Money isn’t really an object for a team that has boasted record payrolls under Steve Cohen’s ownership, and Alonso and Diaz are each coming off big seasons.  For all of the Mets’ issues in 2025, Alonso and Diaz weren’t part of the problem — Alonso hit .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs over 709 plate appearances, and Diaz recorded 28 saves while posting a 1.63 ERA and 38% strikeout rate over 66 1/3 innings.

Retaining either player, of course, comes with a few concerns.  The Mets and Alonso just went through this free agent dance last winter, as after a lack of interest from other suitors and a protracted series of negotiations with New York’s front office, Alonso settled for a two-year, $54MM deal with an opt-out clause after the first season.  Alonso’s goal of entering the market with a better platform season came to fruition, and he also won’t have the qualifying offer attached to his services this time, for any clubs concerned over giving up draft picks to sign him.

While Alonso’s numbers were decidedly better in 2025 than in 2024, the question of whether or not Alonso was still a top-tier bat wasn’t really one of the chief concerns facing the Mets or other free agent suitors last offseason.  Alonso is a right-handed hitting first base-only player, and the market simply hasn’t been too welcoming to such players in recent years, no matter how much pop is in their bats.  Speaking of defense, Alonso’s subpar glovework has him pointed towards a future as a DH, so any team signing the slugger will face the immediate question over how much longer they’re willing to deploy him at first base.  If Alonso projects as a one-dimensional player going forward, the fact that he’s entering his age-31 season means that he is one year closer to the end of his prime.

One plus in Alonso’s favor is his extreme durability.  Diaz is entering his age-32 season, and his health record includes a 2023 season entirely lost due to knee surgery, and a (minimal) stint on the 15-day injured list in 2024 due to a shoulder impingement.  While Diaz isn’t showing any signs of slowing down on the mound, there are also the natural concerns present when considering any bullpen arm for a long-term contract, given how inconsistent most relievers can be on a year-to-year basis.

Diaz’s knee injury obviously hadn’t happened at the time of his last foray into free agency, but larger concerns over his future performance didn’t weigh too heavily on the Mets’ minds in 2022 when the team quickly re-signed the righty to his five-year, $102MM deal soon after the free agent market opened.  Cohen was naturally the one making the final call on Diaz’s new contract, though it is worth noting that Billy Eppler was New York’s general manager at the time of that signing.

Current president of baseball operations David Stearns may well have a different view of Diaz’s value, which is why MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo feels that if the Mets only keep one of the two star free agents, “Alonso has a better chance of staying.”  Stearns has traditionally preferred to build his bullpens with relievers on shorter-term commitments, both when he was running the Brewers’ front office (and focusing more on inexpensive hidden-gem types) and during his two years in Queens (when working with a much larger payroll).

DiComo also observed that “just about everyone needs relief pitching,” so while perhaps only a few teams may be able to meet Diaz’s expected price tag, “Díaz is also likely to have at least as many suitors as Alonso.”  Diaz’s age is a factor in another sense here, as SNY’s Andy Martino points out that Diaz may view this trip to free agency as his “last bite at the apple at getting a huge contract.”  Despite the mutual interest between Diaz and the Mets in a reunion, he might not be able to resist taking the larger offer if a closer-needy team outbids the Mets in years.

Could it be possible that both Alonso and Diaz have played their last game in a Mets uniform?  This seems like perhaps the least-likely scenario, as then the Mets would have to add both first base and closer to an offseason shopping list that is already headlined by a severe need for starting pitching.  Technically, letting both Alonso and Diaz walk would free up more payroll room for the Amazins to splurge on rotation help, or for the club to pursue other quality first base or high-leverage relief that would come at lower price tags.  But, “payroll room” is probably not a big deal to a club with a more or less endless budget.  And, letting two fan favorites go in the same offseason might not appeal to a Mets fanbase that is already upset over the disappointment of 2025.

What do you think will happen with the Mets and these two big free agent decisions? Vote now in our poll.

Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia Phillies

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For the second straight season, the Phillies won the NL East and earned a bye to the NLDS, only to lose in four games.  The Phils again face some big decisions about retaining or replacing members of their core, and the bigger-picture question might be if this core group needs a larger shakeup to get the team over the top.

Guaranteed Contracts

Option Decisions

2026 financial commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised):$177.34MM
Total future commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised): $642.54M

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Coming off a 56-homer season, Kyle Schwarber is understandably looking to cash in, and could aim for a five-year free agent deal that would cover his age 33-37 seasons.  That would be a hefty commitment to a player who is basically a DH-only bat at this point in his career, though it is possible that in exchange for a longer term, Schwarber and his reps at Excel might be willing to bend a little on the contract's average annual value.

Speculating on the tenor of negotiations could be a moot point, however, since there is a sense that the Phillies are dead set on bringing Schwarber back.  There has been public interest in a reunion from Schwarber himself, from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and (most importantly) from owner John Middleton.  The Phils have been more than willing to pay top dollar to retain most of their top talents during the Middleton era, ranging from Zack Wheeler's extension to new contracts with Aaron Nola and J.T. Realmuto after first letting them test free agency.

Realmuto is back on the market again now that his five-year, $115.5MM deal is up.  It was money well spent, as Cal Raleigh is the only catcher in baseball to post a higher fWAR than Realmuto's 17.8 number over the 2021-25 span.  On the flip side, Realmuto's production at the plate dropped in his age-34 season, as he hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 homers (for a 94 wRC+) over 550 plate appearances in 2025.

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Giants Hire Tony Vitello As Manager

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The Giants finalized their bold managerial move on Wednesday. San Francisco announced that they’ve hired University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello as the 40th manager in franchise history. He reportedly signed a three-year contract that pays $3.5MM annually with a vesting option for 2029.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Tony to the Giants family,” president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in the press release. “Tony is one of the brightest, most innovative, and most respected coaches in college baseball today. … We look forward to the energy and direction he will bring, along with the memories to be made as we focus on the future of Giants baseball.”

In recent years, several MLB teams have looked to hire coaches from the collegiate ranks or from other backgrounds with little or no pro experience, and some past or current managers have gotten their jobs with little to no coaching or managerial experience.  However, Vitello is a unique case of a lifelong collegiate coach who is moving to professional baseball with no past history as a player, coach, or manager in either Major League or minor league ball.

This isn’t to say that Vitello doesn’t have a decorated resume, as the 47-year-old is one of the most successful NCAA coaches of the last decade.  Since Vitello was hired by Tennessee in June 2017, the program won its first national baseball title in 2024, and made two more trips to the College World Series in both 2021 and 2023.  The Volunteers also won the SEC regular-season and tournament crowns during the 2022 and 2024 seasons.  Before coming to Tennessee, Vitello was an assistant baseball coach at Missouri, TCU, and Arkansas from 2003-2017.

Several of Vitello’s former players (including Missouri’s Max Scherzer) have reached the major leagues, and 10 Tennessee players have gone on to be first-round draft picks since Vitello took over the program.  The Giants have four ex-Tennessee players  — Drew Gilbert, Blade Tidwell, Maui Ahuna, and 2025 first-rounder Gavin Kilen — in their organization, which undoubtedly helped forge a connection between Vitello and Posey.

Vitello is Posey’s first managerial hire since taking over the PBO role a year ago, as Bob Melvin was a holdover from Farhan Zaidi’s time in charge of San Francisco’s front office.  Melvin had only been in the job for one season, and after he followed up that 80-82 campaign with an 81-81 mark in 2025, the Giants chose to fire Melvin once the 2025 campaign was over.  This decision was made despite the fact that the Giants had exercised their 2026 club option on Melvin on July 1, yet the team’s inconsistent play over the last three months convinced Posey that a change had to be made.

Though Melvin’s time in San Francisco was uneventful, it will be fascinating to see how the team and the organization as a whole adjusts from a Major League lifer (and three-time Manager of the Year winner) like Melvin to Vitello in his first foray into pro baseball.  That said, Vitello has something of an old-school approach himself, with a focus on fundamentals and competitiveness.

In a recent appearance on a Youth.inc podcast (hat tip to Baggarly for the partial transcript), Vitello said “I think everyone is suffering the consequences all the way up to the big leagues where guys are super skilled, but there’s less development, less coaching, less accountability and therefore less understanding of how to actually play the game to win.  And it starts all the way, trickle-down effect.”

As Baggarly notes, Posey has shared similar critiques about players, which may explain why Vitello became a more attractive managerial candidate in the PBO’s eyes.  It is also worth noting that Vitello may not have been Posey’s initial top choice, as initial reports pegged former Giants catcher Nick Hundley as a favorite for the manager’s position.  Hundley withdrew his name from consideration, reportedly due to concerns over how the day-to-day grind of managing in the big leagues would impact his family.

Of all the names publicly linked to the Giants’ search, former Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde was the only one with past managerial experience at the big league level.  Other known candidates included Royals third base coach Vance Wilson and two ex-players in Hundley and Kurt Suzuki (just hired yesterday as the Angels’ new manager) who had no coaching/managerial experience in the majors or minors.  Clearly a traditional managerial resume wasn’t a key priority for Posey in assessing his choices, even if Vitello is a step beyond.

Managing a big league team and coaching a college team are very different animals, not to mention the gap between coaching college kids and overseeing a clubhouse of highly-paid veteran professionals.  That said, Vitello is renowned as a leader and motivator.  As detailed in Baggarly’s piece, such big leaguers as Scherzer and Angels reliever Ben Joyce (a Tennessee product) heavily praised Vitello, and think he’ll thrive managing in the Show.

With Vitello now in San Francisco, the Giants join the Angels (Suzuki) and Rangers (Skip Schumaker) as clubs who have now removed themselves from a busy managerial carousel.  The Twins, Orioles, Padres, Nationals, Rockies, and Braves all remain as teams still looking for a new dugout boss.

Andrew Baggarly, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported last week that the Giants were closing in on a deal with Vitello. Jacob Rudner of Baseball America was first to report that an agreement was in place. John Shea of The San Francisco Standard reported the contract terms. Photo courtesy of Brianna Paciorka — Imagn Images

Brewers Claim Sammy Peralta

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The Brewers have claimed left-hander Sammy Peralta off waivers from the Angels, as announced by both teams.  There hadn’t been any public indication that Peralta had been designated for assignment, but the southpaw will now be on the move again after spending the last five months in the Halos organization.

After breaking into the big leagues with the White Sox and posting a 4.37 ERA over 35 relief innings for Chicago in 2023-24, Peralta elected minor league free agency following the 2024 campaign.  He began his 2025 season in the Mexican League before inking a minors deal with the Angels in May, and Los Angeles selected Peralta to the active roster in September.  Peralta made five appearances in a Halos uniform without much success, posting a 7.59 ERA in 10 2/3 innings.

Peralta is one of the lower-velocity pitchers in baseball, with an average fastball that clocks in at just 89.3mph over his relatively brief time in the big leagues.  Relying on a fastball/slider/changeup mix for much of his pro career, Peralta started to incorporate a sinker into his repertoire this season and cut back on his change.  When pitching with the Angels, Peralta relied heavily on his slider and sinker and didn’t much use his fastball or change up, though the sample size was small enough that conclusions can’t really be drawn about this usage as a new career direction.

Milwaukee has been so adept at turning unheralded pitchers into productive big league arms that this seemingly innocuous waiver claim may end up having an impact on the Brewers’ 2026 bullpen.  The Brew Crew have seen something in Peralta’s work that made them intrigued enough to make a claim and take a look at the lefty, who has one minor league option remaining.  It is very possible Peralta might yet be DFA fodder as the Brewers make other roster moves over the offseason.  If Peralta is designated and then outrighted, he has the ability to elect free agency since he has been outrighted in the past.

Rockies Narrow Front Office Search To At Least Two Finalists

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Reports emerged a few days ago that the Rockies were entering the finalist stage of their search for a new front office leader, and the field has now been whittled down to perhaps just two names.  The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal report that Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman and Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye are under consideration for the job, though it is possible another unknown finalist may also still be in the mix.  Former Astros GM James Click and Royals assistant GM Scott Sharp had been candidates for the Rockies job but are no longer in consideration.

Forman, Sharp, and Click were the only names linked to the Rockies’ search, though naturally the team has likely been speaking with other candidates like Sawdaye who weren’t publicly known until now.  Sawdaye has previously been a candidate for top front office posts with the Giants (before Farhan Zaidi was hired) and Angels (who hired Perry Minasian), plus he was at least contacted by the Nationals about their president of baseball operations opening this offseason before Paul Toboni was hired.  Sawdaye has never held the top post in a front office before, but he did take over day-to-day operations for the D’Backs in 2021 when GM Mike Hazen took a temporary leave of absence.

Sawdaye is a longtime executive who started his baseball career with a 15-year stint in the Red Sox front office, rising to the levels of VP of international and amateur scouting.  He worked closely with Hazen for a decade of that time, and when Hazen was hired as Arizona’s GM in October 2016, Sawdaye followed as Hazen’s assistant GM and has since been the de facto chief lieutenant within the Diamondbacks front office.

All this time in the NL West has given Sawdaye plenty of familiarity with the Rockies, and thus Sawdaye may well have some insight into how the Rox can get their organization on track.  Colorado’s search for a new front office head is particularly intriguing since owner Dick Monfort is finally looking at external hires, as a way of bringing some fresh perspective into an organization that has long been accused of being too insular and outmoded in its thinking.

Seven straight losing seasons will tend to convince a team that things need to be changed, especially after the particular embarrassment of the Rockies’ near-record 119-loss campaign in 2025.  Whether it’s Sawdaye, Forman, or another finalist who gets the job, a massive task lies in front of them in simply modernizing the Rockies’ baseball operations department, before getting around to upgrading the on-field roster.

The latest round of interviews for the finalists will take place later this week, Ghiroli and Rosenthal write, with the assumption being that the Rockies will have someone hired before the GM Meetings in early November.  Interim manager Warren Schaeffer technically remains a candidate for the full-time managerial position, but chances are the new GM/president of baseball operations would want to make their own choice as Colorado’s next skipper.

Latest On Braves’ Managerial Search

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The Rangers and Angels each have new managers in place for 2026, but that still leaves seven other teams looking for a new dugout leader.  Amidst all of the recent news and rumors about all of these simultaneously ongoing managerial searches, there hasn’t been much out of Atlanta, which is by design.  The Braves generally operate with more secrecy than most clubs, and as president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters during his year-end press conference, “if we do our job the way I want us to do it, you guys won’t have anything” on his club’s hunt for a new skipper.

A few details have emerged from MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, though more in regards to some speculated names that can perhaps be removed from consideration.  Bowman hears from a source that former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons isn’t a candidate, and that “there has been no indication” that former Cubs manager David Ross or MLB Network and former player Mark DeRosa are being eyed for the manager’s job.

A follow-up message from Bowman on X specified that Gibbons, Ross, and DeRosa were the names he felt could be “confidently removed” from the running.  His initial report didn’t eliminate bench coach Walt Weiss or coach Eddie Perez from consideration, but Bowman downplayed the idea of either man being elevated to the manager’s chair, writing that “their potential candidacies seemed to die when the Braves didn’t persuade [Brian] Snitker to manage at least one more year.”  This implies that a succession plan might’ve been the initial concept for the team, but Snitker’s decision to step away from the job after the 2025 campaign might have the Braves leaning towards bringing an entirely fresh voice into the dugout.

Gibbons had the most MLB managerial experience of any of the names rumored to be involved in Atlanta’s search, as Gibbons logged parts of 11 seasons as the Blue Jays’ skipper over two separate tenures with the club.  Anthopoulos was the Jays’ assistant GM during Gibbons’ first stint, and then after becoming general manager himself, made the unusual move of rehiring Gibbons back prior to the 2013 season, when Toronto was looking to replace John Farrell.  Gibbons has spent the last two seasons as the Mets’ bench coach but stepped down from the job last month, creating speculation that he might emerge as Anthopoulos’ choice once more in Atlanta.

Ross seemed to be a natural candidate, as a Georgia native who both played for the Braves for four seasons and has four years of Major League managing experience on his resume.  DeRosa is another former Brave who played seven seasons with the club from 1998-2004, and he has stuck mostly to broadcasting since his playing career ended in 2013.  DeRosa hasn’t coached or managed in the majors or minors, though he was Team USA’s manager during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

In terms of which names might be on the Braves’ radar, Bowman writes that Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann’s “candidacy has seemingly strengthened over the past couple weeks.”  The fact that the Dodgers are on their way to the World Series could be a complicating factor, though Lehmann could interview with the Braves during the interim periods between playoff rounds.  This does mean that Atlanta might not announce a new hire until November, or at least until after the World Series is completed.

The 40-year-old Lehmann has been Dave Roberts’ bench coach for the last three years, and he has spent the last decade in the L.A. organization in such roles as a game planning/communication coach, a special assistant within the front office, and an advance video scout.  Lehmann’s time with the Dodgers overlaps with Anthopoulos’ two-year (2016-17) tenure as the Dodgers’ vice-president of baseball operations, so there’s plenty of familiarity between the two men.

Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty and Tigers bench coach George Lombard are two other “potential candidates,” in Bowman’s words.  The two have each been popular names in managerial searches in recent years, as Flaherty was a finalist for the Padres’ job in 2023 (before Mike Shildt was hired) and has been speculated as a candidate for the Padres’ current vacancy, as well as the Orioles’ and Twins’ open managerial positions.  Lombard interviewed with the Marlins and White Sox last winter, and he was also in the running for past managerial vacancies with the Tigers and Pirates.

Lombard is an Atlanta native, and he also has some past L.A. history with Anthopoulos since Lombard was the Dodgers’ first base coach during the 2016-20 seasons.  Both Lombard and Flaherty are former Braves players — Lombard during the 1998-99 seasons, and Flaherty in 2018.

Angels Hire Kurt Suzuki As Manager

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The Angels’ managerial search is over, as the club announced that they’ve hired Kurt Suzuki as their new bench boss. The former MLB catcher had been a special assistant in the Halos’ front office. It’s only a one-year contract, though the Angels announced that the deal has multiple option years.

Suzuki was one of multiple former Angels players who was linked to the managerial vacancy.  Albert Pujols emerged as the initial candidate for the job and was seen as the favorite, before news broke yesterday that Pujols wouldn’t be the hire.  As per reports from both Heyman and The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Pujols and the Angels couldn’t line up on a contract, as well as on “coaches and resources,” in Heyman’s words.  Longtime Angels outfielder Torii Hunter was another candidate for the job but he also fell out of race yesterday.

Other names linked to the search included candidates with past experience managing at the big league level, including Rocco Baldelli, Brandon Hyde, and Los Angeles’ own third base coach (and former Astros skipper) Bo Porter.  It isn’t known if the Halos actually spoke with any of these speculative candidates, or if the team was impressed enough by what they heard from Suzuki that they went ahead and made the hire.

Like Pujols and Hunter, Suzuki has no experience managing or coaching at the Major League or minor league levels.  Since his retirement following the 2022 season, Suzuki moved into his role as a special assistant to Angels GM Perry Minasian.  This wasn’t Suzuki’s only foray into a managerial search, however, as the Giants interviewed him about their own dugout vacancy earlier this month.  (It would appear that San Francisco is instead going with University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello for that job, though a deal between the two sides isn’t yet finalized.)

The 42-year-old Suzuki becomes the latest in a long line of ex-catchers to become MLB managers, and the Angels’ pick continues a more recent trend towards teams hiring fairly recently retired players without much or any of a managerial or coaching background.  The Guardians’ Stephen Vogt is perhaps the most prominent example of this, as Vogt retired after the 2022 season, and then spent a year on the Mariners’ coaching staff before Cleveland tabbed him as Terry Francona’s replacement.

In regards to the Angels, Suzuki’s hire is a departure from the organization’s preference towards experienced managers under Arte Moreno’s ownership.  Mike Scioscia was inherited as the skipper when Moreno bought the team in 2003 and Scioscia continued managing through the 2018 season.  From there, the Halos hired Brad Ausmus and Joe Maddon as their next two skippers, before Maddon was fired partway through the 2022 campaign and replaced by interim manager Phil Nevin (who had never managed a big league club).  Nevin remained in charge through 2023 before he too was let go, and longtime former Rangers manager Ron Washington was brought on board in advance of the 2024 campaign.

Washington’s own tenure was cut short by health reasons, as he went on a leave of absence this past June to recover from quadruple bypass surgery.  Bench coach Ray Montgomery took over managerial duties for the remainder of this season, and while Washington hoped to return to the job in 2026, the Angels instead decided to go in an entirely new direction by hiring another manager.

The fact that Suzuki will be the seventh different person to manage the Angels within a nine-year span speaks to the difficult challenge facing Suzuki in his new job.  Los Angeles has posted losing records in each of the last 10 seasons, and has been to the playoffs just once in their last 16 seasons.  A number of ill-advised signings, lack of farm system help, and a general sense of instability has plagued the franchise, with Moreno’s heavy-handed interference in baseball operations often cited as the reason for the team’s lack of success.  Minasian has been the general manager since November 2020 and is under contract through 2026, but he is also the Angels’ fifth GM under Moreno (Bill Stoneman had separate stints as the full-time GM and as an interim GM).

Suzuki naturally has an idea of what he’s getting into, having worked in the Halos’ front office for three years and spending his final two seasons as a player with the team.  The Hawaii native’s ties to the Anaheim area date back to his college days as a player with Cal State Fullerton, and his playing career began as a second-round pick for the Athletics in the 2004 draft.  Suzuki suited up for five different teams over his 16-year playing career, which was highlighted by an All-Star appearance with the Twins in 2014 and a World Series ring with the Nationals in 2019.

With the Angels’ position now filled, there are still seven other teams on the hunt for new managers in 2026.  The Giants, Padres, Orioles, Braves, Twins, Nationals, and Rockies all need new skippers, though Colorado will first be hiring a new top front office executive before turning its attention to a managerial search.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the Suzuki hiring. Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that it was a one-year deal. Photo courtesy of David Banks – Imagn Images

Franmil Reyes Re-Signs With NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters On One-Year Deal

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Former big leaguer Franmil Reyes has re-signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball, according to reports out of Japan (hat tip to Yakyu Cosmopolitan).  Reyes’ agent has posted on X that it’s a one-year contract, so he will be a free agent after the 2026 season.

It is easy to see why the Fighters wanted to lock Reyes up, as he has provided some big pop over his two NPB seasons.  Reyes has hit .282/.347/.535 with 57 home runs over 899 plate appearances with the Kitahiroshima-based club, helping carry the Fighters to second-place finishes in the Pacific League in each of the last two seasons.  The Fighters’ 240 home runs over the last two seasons is the most of any NPB team, with Reyes’ power bat leading the way.

This slugging ability was evident over most of Reyes’ six Major League seasons, as he posted 108 big flies and a .264/.310/.464 slash line over 2078 PA with the Padres, Guardians, Cubs, and Royals from 2018-23.  Unfortunately for Reyes, his production suddenly cratered in 2022, leading Cleveland to option him to Triple-A and then designate him for assignment that summer.  Subsequent stints with the Cubs, Royals, and (on a minor league contract) Nationals didn’t see Reyes regain his stroke, so he opted to head overseas following the 2023 season.

MLBTR’s post initially indicated that Reyes signed a multi-year contract. We apologize for the error.

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