{
  "id": 17997817,
  "title": "Seattle Mariners hire Chicago Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler as manager",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/seattle-mariners-hire-chicago-cubs-farm-director-jason-kanzler-as",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-03T17:49:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/seattle-mariners-hire-chicago-cubs-174951557.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Seattle Mariners have appointed Jason Kanzler, the Cubs' farm director, as their new manager, the team announced on Tuesday. Kanzler, 36, succeeds Dan Wilson, who was dismissed following a disappointing 2025 season that saw the Mariners finish 76-86. Last year, Seattle advanced to the ALCS but fell short in Game 7.\n\nKanzler, who has no prior managerial experience, served as the Cubs' director of player development, overseeing the organization's minor league system, players, and coaching staff. Prior to that, he worked as an assistant hitting coach for the Houston Astros during the 2022-23 season.\n\nIn a statement, Kanzler expressed his enthusiasm about joining the Mariners, noting the team's wealth of talent across all aspects of the game. He stated that his coaching staff is eager to unlock the team's full potential.\n\nKanzler's appointment makes him the second-youngest manager in baseball, behind Washington's 34-year-old manager Blake Butera. Born in 1988, Kanzler was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 20th round in 2013 and played three seasons as an outfielder in the minor leagues. After retiring as a player, he transitioned to coaching, teaching high school chemistry and physics in Texas before joining the Houston Astros in 2019 as hitting coach for the High-A Fayetteville team.\n\nSeattle GM Justin Hollander expressed confidence in Kanzler's ability to guide the club back to the postseason. The Mariners had a successful 2025 season, winning the AL West for the first time in 24 years and coming within one game of their first World Series appearance. However, injuries, bullpen regression, and subpar performances from key offensive players resulted in a disappointing 2026 season, with slugger Cal Raleigh batting just .182 and the team scoring the third-fewest runs in the majors. Seattle remains the only MLB team without a World Series title.",
  "summary": "The Seattle Mariners have named Chicago Cubs farm director Jason Kanzler as their next manager, the team announced.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Front Office Sports",
        "title": "MLB Free Agency Opens As Eight Players Receive Qualifying Offers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/mlb-free-agency-opens-as-eight-players-receive-qualifying-offers",
        "published": "2026-11-02T22:12:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "8 MLB Players Receive Qualifying Offers Ahead of Free Agency",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/03/8-mlb-players-receive-qualifying-offers-ahead-of-free-agency",
        "published": "2026-11-03T00:56:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}