After one disappointing season with the team, the Los Angeles Angels decided to party ways with manager Kurt Suzuki on Wednesday. The former MLB star and World Series champion was hired ahead of the 2026 season just four years after he ended his professional career. It was his first stint on an MLB coaching staff.
He previously worked as an assistant to former Angels' general manager Perry Minasian. It was a shock when the Angels promoted Suzuki to becoming manager without any on-field coaching experience. It wasn't a successful season by any means for the Angels with Suzuki leading the charge.
The Angels posted the second-worst record in the league, 62-100, this season and obviously missed the playoffs. It was the first time in the Angels' franchise history in which they posted 100 losses. The Angels haven't been to the playoffs since 2014, so that wasn't necessarily a surprise, but the organization was hoping Suzuki would turn things around more.
The Angels will now start a search for Suzuki's replacement. The next manager will be the team's sixth since 2019 when longtime manager Mike Scioscia left after 19 seasons. Whoever the organization chooses as its next manager will have some important business at hand this offseason as players like third baseman Anthony Rendon and catcher Travis d'Arnaud will become free agents.
Then, of course, they will be tasked with deciding what to do with Mike Trout regarding whether he will be traded or remain on the team through his contract ending after the 2030 season. Suzuki competed in MLB for 16 seasons as a catcher. He ended his professional career with the Angels, playing there from 2021-22.
While with the Angels, Suzuki became the 16th catcher in MLB history to record 10,000 career putouts. Suzuki's big career moment came in 2019 when he was part of the World Series winning Washington Nationals squad.
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