Major League Baseball teams wait far too long to decide their manager’s fate, but at least the Los Angeles Angels took pity on Kurt Suzuki and finally declined his 2027 option.
We recently questioned why the Houston Astros waited until mid-October to decide manager Joe Espada’s future instead of firing him after the Wild Card Series. The Angels took even longer to move on from Suzuki, who went 62-100 in his first season, and we’ll never understand the delay.
New Angels owner Stan Kroenke and lead baseball executive John Mozeliak can now hire their own man, and we already have some early ideas. We’ve excluded those who previously confirmed they don’t intend to manage in 2027, such as Alex Cora and Carlos Beltrán.
Brandon Hyde, former Baltimore Orioles manager
Hyde is a relatively safe choice, having led the Orioles to three consecutive winning seasons following a prolonged rebuild. Some might argue David Rubenstein and a new ownership group overreacted by firing him last spring amid a 15-28 start, but he’d lost all five playoff games during his time in Baltimore.
So why do we call him “safe” given the context? Kroenke and Mozeliak should want stability in the dugout, and Hyde checks the boxes. He’s currently working in the Rays’ front office, and speaking of those employed by the American League champions…
Corey Dickerson, Tampa Bay Rays first base coach
Dickerson is an odd choice, partly because his only managerial role came at Jackson Academy, a private school in Mississippi. The Rays’ run to the World Series could nonetheless boost his chances of at least earning an interview, and he already knows Mozeliak from their time together in St. Louis; Dickerson played in 96 games for the Cardinals in 2022, the penultimate season of a solid 11-year career.
Don’t be surprised if Dickerson eventually gets a chance to run a team, assuming he wants that role. He’s still only 37, but the Nationals hired Blake Butera — three years younger than Dickerson — last offseason, and he led Washington to its best record since 2019.
Hank Conger, Baltimore Orioles bullpen coach
Here’s a familiar name for Angels fans, albeit one they likely haven’t thought about in years. Conger, a 2006 first-round pick and standout catching prospect, spent parts of five seasons with the Angels; for what it’s worth, he also played alongside Mike Trout both in the majors and at Triple-A Salt Lake.
Conger has no managerial experience, though he served as the Twins’ first-base and catching coach from 2022-25. Whether the Angels call him or not, he strikes us as a possible rising star in the coaching world.
Scott Servais, former Seattle Mariners manager
Servais nearly made it a decade in Seattle, going 680-642 before the Mariners fired him in August 2024. The Mariners hired him from the Angels in 2015, after he spent five seasons as Jerry DiPoto’s assistant general manager. What’s especially interesting is Servais has held three different roles — player, manager, and executive — each for at least a decade.
Our question: Does Servais want to manage again? He’s worked in the Padres’ front office since January 2025, and he’d be taking over an Angels team nowhere close to contending for the postseason.
Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals special assistant
You saw the featured image, you read the caption, and you knew what was coming. Mozeliak was in the Cardinals’ front office when they used a fourth-round pick on Molina in 2000, and the two worked together throughout the latter’s entire playing career. They’re easily two of the most important figures in recent Cardinals history, and that alone might be enough for Kroenke.
Molina has managed both overseas and in the World Baseball Classic, leading Puerto Rico to the 2023 quarterfinals. This makes far too much sense.
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