Angels failed Kurt Suzuki long before his managerial tenure ended

No manager, be it Mike Scioscia or Gene Mauch, was going to succeed with the roster that was assembled by former Los Angeles Angels general manager Perry Minasian before his firing during the 2026 season. It's needed context when talking about why Kurt Suzuki is no longer the team's manager moving forward.

Suzuki was relieved of his managerial duties and offered a separate role to stay with the organization. Was Kurt Suzuki the perfect hire as the team's manager? Almost definitely not; however, he was doomed from the start in far-more ways than one.

Angels fans knew Kurt Suzuki was going to get fired the second his contract details were revealed

When Suzuki signed his contract to become the Angels manager, the most note-worthy aspect of the news drop was the deal's length -- a one-year deal that included options.

Suzuki, who had never managed at the major league level, was hired over either more-qualified or higher-ceiling, first-time managerial candidates. Suzuki was brought on, to an extent, because of his close working relationship with Minasian and several members of the roster. Another possible reason for his one-year deal was the upcoming lockout, as the Angels did not want to be hampered with a possible lame-duck manager on a multi-year deal.

When the lockout ends, do the Angels pivot back to Albert Pujols and adhere to his demands to have a hands-on role in picking his team? Probably not. How about Dan Wilson, who fits the archetype of a veteran manager they have not exactly considered in the past? Or do they stick with former players like a Torii Hunter? The next Angels manager will almost definitely receive a two-year deal at minimum no matter what after this debacle.

It's not like Suzuki had a nucleus of star players, an elite supporting cast of coaches, a cohesive front office or coherent ownership group -- so what was Suzuki supposed to do exactly to manage well-enough to keep his job? In classic Angels fashion, the Angels terminated all of their major league pitching coaches (including Mike Maddux, who was also in his first year on the coaching staff) and Minasian mid-season so the writing had been on the wall with regards to Suzuki's job status for months. This has been a long-dysfunctional organization, and Suzuki was clearly set up to fail and promptly get scapegoated.

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