The Mariners hire Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler, 36, as their manager

The Seattle Mariners named Jason Kanzler their new manager on Tuesday. Kanzler, 36, comes from the Chicago Cubs, where he has been director of player development since the start of 2024, and he takes over for Dan Wilson, whom Seattle let go after the season.

Kanzler has never managed a team at any level, ESPN noted. He was a 20th-round outfielder in the 2013 draft, then spent five years in the Houston Astros organization, including two seasons as a major league coach in 2022 and 2023. In Chicago he worked with young hitters like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw and Pedro Ramirez.

Former Astros manager Joe Espada was reportedly also a finalist, per ESPN.

What went wrong in 2026

Seattle was eight outs from the first pennant in franchise history in 2025, losing Game 7 of the ALCS to Toronto on a George Springer home run. This year the Mariners were a popular World Series pick and finished 76-86, out of the playoffs in a weak division.

Nearly the whole lineup slumped. Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez and Josh Naylor, in the first year of a $92.5 million contract, all struggled at the plate. Brendan Donovan, the big offseason trade addition, played 39 games. A rotation of Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller posted the sixth-highest ERA in the majors after the All-Star break.

"Our goal in this process was finding a manager with the ability to challenge all of us to improve," Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in the team's statement. "Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills, and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle."

Dipoto's third hire

Kanzler is the third manager of the Dipoto era. Scott Servais ran the club until he was fired late in 2024, and Wilson replaced him straight from a minor league coordinator job. Wilson won 90 games in his first full season and missed the playoffs in his second.

The talent is still there. ESPN calls the roster one of baseball's deepest, with two stars in Raleigh and Rodriguez and plenty of starting pitching. Kanzler's job is to get those players back to their 2025 form.

What's next

The Mariners will introduce Kanzler at a news conference on Wednesday. His first calls will be on the coaching staff, and the open question is how much of Wilson's staff he keeps.