Former All-Star catcher and World Series champion Kurt Suzuki has been hired as the next manager for the Los Angeles Angels, according to multiple reports.
Suzuki, 42, played his final two MLB seasons with the Angels from 2021-22. He has spent the past three seasons as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.
The 16-year MLB veteran has no professional coaching experience.
Suzuki replaces former Angels manager Ron Washington and interim manager Ray Montgomery, both of whom won’t return to the Angels in 2026. Montgomery replaced Washington as Angels manager in June after Washington, 73, underwent a quadruple bypass heart surgery and was placed on medical leave.
Suzuki’s hiring comes after the Angels were also reported to be in negotiations with former star players Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter.
The Angels finished the 2025 season with a 72-90 record and have not made the postseason since 2014, the longest active playoff drought in MLB.
Aside from the Angels, Suzuki also played for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves. He earned his lone career All-Star selection in 2014 with the Twins and helped the Nationals win the World Series in 2019.
Suzuki finished his MLB career with a .255 batting average, 143 home runs, 730 RBI and .702 OPS in 1,635 games.
“Suzuki is a very positive guy and he will bring a lot of positive energy to that ballclub, but it is going to be hard to create a winning culture with an owner like Arte Moreno lurking behind every move and every decision,” said Joe Noga, Cleveland Guardians reporter for cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer. “Suzuki has all the tools and qualities to become a good manager in the big leagues, but doing so in Los Angeles will be a tall task.”
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