Mariners narrow manager search to Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler

Seattle is in the final stage of its search for a new manager, having scheduled in-person interviews with the two remaining candidates, former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada and Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler, sources said. Both candidates, who were on the Astros coaching staff during the club's 2022 World Series win, will meet with Mariners executives and coaches at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The club had initially considered a list of 30-40 names and conducted dozens of conversations, including virtual calls with former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven, according to earlier reports. A third in-person interview was planned, but former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli withdrew from consideration on Sunday.

Espada, 51, spent nine years with the Astros, serving as bench coach from 2017 to 2023 before being promoted to manager after the 2023 season. In three seasons as manager, he posted a 256-229 record and guided Houston to two division titles. Kanzler, 36, has no managerial experience. After a brief minor-league playing career and a stint teaching high-school chemistry and physics, he joined the Astros as a minor-league hitting coach in 2019, later becoming an assistant hitting coach in 2023, and was hired by the Cubs in 2024 to oversee their farm system.

The Mariners aim to announce their choice by the end of the week, though they could still speak with candidates from the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers after the World Series concludes.