Cubs face another potential front office shakeup as Mariners narrow manager search

The Chicago Cubs might soon be facing another loss to their front office. The Seattle Mariners are narrowing down their search for a new manager, and their list of finalists includes Cubs' director of player development Jason Kanzler.

Kanzler was reported to be a candidate last week, and he will be having an in-person interview with the Mariners this week. The other finalist is former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada. Espada had his optioned declined by the Astros earlier this month, and his familiarity with the American League West could be seen as a plus for the Mariners.

Interestingly enough, before his time with the Cubs, Kanzler was also embedded with the Astros. He was hired by Houston in 2019 to serve as a minor-league hitting coach, and he joined the big-league staff in 2022. The Cubs hired him for a front office role in 2024.

Kanzler would certainly be a bold hire, considering he has no managing experience, and the impression is that the Mariners are still in their competitive window. With that being case, conventional wisdom would point to Espada potentially having the upper-hand ahead of the final interviews.

Jason Kanzler could be pivotal loss to the Cubs' front office

With the potential departure of Kanzler, and the departure of Jared Banner, it can be tough to determine how the loss will be felt for the Cubs. Banner has been credited for pushing for Pete Crow-Armstrong at the 2021 trade deadline, and that certainly appears to be one of the moves that put him on the radar of the Baltimore Orioles.

As for Kanzler, given the role is largely behind the scenes, it can be difficult to point to the true impact he has had on the Cubs. That said, it should be notable that over the past few years, there's been a notable uptick in this front office's ability to develop hitters.

Obviously, Crow-Armstrong is a part of that success. But beyond the presumptive National League MVP, Owen Ayers, Kane Kepley, Cam Smith, and Josiah Hartshorn are some of the position-player prospects that took a step forward in their development. In Smith's case, it led to him being the headliner in the Cubs' trade for Kyle Tucker.

That's not saying that the Cubs' development of hitters will take a step back if Kanzler does get the Mariners' job, but it is something worth noting.

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