With the Seattle Mariners finding a replacement after firing manager Dan Wilson in the form of Jason Kanzler, there was another candidate that was a finalit that had a bevy of managerial experience. As Kanzler's hire for the Mariners was surprising, the other finalist for the role was Joe Espada.

There were two main candidates for Seattle's open skipper role, with one being Rocco Baldelli, manager of the Minnesota Twins for seven years, but he “removed himself from the interview process,” according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. A finalist for the gig was Espada, who had been with Houston from 2018 to 2026, though he had been the manager since 2024.

“Rocco Baldelli, who managed the Minnesota Twins for seven seasons, was a top candidate for Seattle’s opening before he removed himself from the interview process, citing family considerations. Espada, whom the Astros still haven’t replaced, was a finalist for the job,” Varnes wrote.

Instead, the Mariners made the decision to hire Kanzler, who has no managerial experience, but comes from the Chicago Cubs as director of player development, as president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto liked what he brought to the table.

“Our goal in this process was finding a manager with the ability to challenge all of us to improve,” Dipoto said in a statement, via MLB.com. “Jason has the mindset, expertise, communication skills and intensity to help create a championship standard here in Seattle.”

New Mariners manager has a connection to Joe Espada

Article Continues Below

Kanzler is considered an “outside-the-box option” for the Mariners with the aforementioned zero experience as a manager at any level, as they elected to go with that instead of Espada. Funny enough, Kanzler was a coach with Houston from 2019 to 2023 before his time with the Cubs.

“But rather than go with former Houston Astros skipper Joe Espada, Seattle chose the 36-year-old who coached alongside Espada when Dusty Baker’s Astros won the World Series in 2022,” Varnes wrote.

At any rate, Kanzler looks to lead Seattle as the team wants to improve after finishing with an immensely disappointing 76-86 record, which puts them third in the AL West.