Saturday, October 24

ANAHEIM -- After more than three weeks since interim general manager John Mozeliak met with the media the day after the regular season ended, the Angels finally provided some clarity on Wednesday that manager Kurt Suzuki and Mozeliak are both not returning in 2027.

Mozeliak had previously indicated that if it were up to him, he would bring Suzuki back, but ultimately, the decision would be up to the new ownership group. It’s become clear now that Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is looking for more of an organizational reset, as Suzuki’s option was declined and Mozeliak said he’ll honor his contract through December before stepping aside once new leadership is in place. Additionally, there will be a new coaching staff in ’27 as well.

The new ownership group is also expected to officially complete the purchase in early 2027. Mozeliak said the search for a GM or president of baseball operations is still in the early stages, but someone will be hired for the role before the club decides on a manager.

It’s a lot to take in with a lot of changes coming for the organization, so here are some key questions related to the future of the franchise:

How big of a surprise was the news?

Given that the Angels lost 100 games for the first time in franchise history in 2026, moving on from Suzuki isn’t as big of a shock as Mozeliak not staying on beyond this year. Mozeliak did say on Sept. 26 that he felt Suzuki did well in his first stint as skipper and wanted to bring him back, but it appears that Mozeliak was ultimately overruled by the new ownership group.

Many in the industry thought Mozeliak would stick around as possibly GM or even in an advisory role after he was hired in late June as interim GM to replace Perry Minasian. Mozeliak was lauded for how the Angels handled the Draft and Trade Deadline, but he will step away once his contract is up.

What’s next for Mozeliak and Suzuki?

Mozeliak will continue in his role as interim GM through December, while Suzuki is still deciding whether he wants to remain in the organization as a special assistant, which is a role he previously served in from 2023-25.

Suzuki, though, could look to move on to a different organization with so many changes coming in the front office. Mozeliak could also look for a front office job elsewhere, as he said several times late in the season that he felt energized in his role with the Angels after his lengthy 30-year stint in the Cardinals’ front office. But he could also decide to retire.

Who could be some candidates for the GM or managerial roles?

As Mozeliak said, it’s still very early in the process, as they’ve yet to interview any GM candidates and that the new GM will be involved in hiring the new manager.

Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores has been mentioned as a candidate because of his ties to Mozeliak and because he’s from the Los Angeles area, but the Angels are expected to cast a wide net. It’s also still a bit unclear how much say Mozeliak will have in the hiring process, as he’s expected to be involved but hasn’t been formally told in what capacity by KSE yet.

At this point, it’s just speculation on who they will bring in to lead their baseball operations, but the Angels do seem serious about a clean slate under the new ownership. And given Stan Kroenke’s willingness to find and pay top executives in other sports, they could target GMs or assistant GMs from winning franchises like the Dodgers, Rays, Guardians or Brewers.

What about the current assistant GMs and coaching staff?

The Angels restructured the front office under Mozeliak on Aug. 31, promoting Matt Swanson and Michael Lord as assistant GMs to join David Haynes and Joey Prebynski. But those could be short-lived, especially with a new leader of baseball operations coming in who would likely want their own staff.

Of course, there could be holdovers, and the Angels are expected to grow their front office under KSE. It’s also unclear how this will affect new club president Molly Jolly and her role. She’s well-liked in-house and was the one responsible for bringing in Mozeliak, but KSE could want their own president.

As for the coaching staff, they’ll all be replaced, as the club’s only two listed coaches are longtime batting practice pitcher Mike Ashman and catching coach Jason Brown. So it’ll be up to the new GM and manager to come up with a new coaching staff for ’27.

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