Astros Rumor Roundup: Seattle Eyes a Former Astros Coach, and the Angels Could Chase Houston's GM Names
The Seattle Times says the Mariners have talked to former Astros coach Jason Kanzler about their manager job. A Talkin' Halos writer's Angels GM list overlaps with Houston's, and White Sox and Cardinals sites kept covering Barfield and Flores.
The Astros aren't the only AL West team trying to fill big jobs this fall, and the writers who cover their division rivals are noticing the overlap.
Here's what other teams' beats and team sites have said since Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, through Thursday morning, Oct. 22. All times are Central.
Seattle: Mariners talk to former Astros coach Jason Kanzler
The Athletic's Chandler Rome, with Ken Rosenthal and PJ Mooney, reported Wednesday at 2:46 p.m. that "two members of the Astros' 2022 coaching staff have emerged as serious candidates in the Mariners managerial search": former Astros manager Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler, now the Cubs' farm director.
The Seattle Times' Mariners beat writer Ryan Divish followed up Wednesday evening, and the paper shared it on X at 7:34 p.m. Citing The Athletic, Divish wrote that the Mariners have talked to Kanzler, who joins Espada and former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli as the three names publicly linked to the job.
Divish traced Kanzler's Houston roots. After a brief playing career in the Twins' farm system, Kanzler became a high school teacher outside Houston while training players and coaching in the Cape Cod League. He joined the Astros as a minor league hitting instructor, made Dusty Baker's big-league staff in 2022, was promoted to assistant hitting coach for 2023 and left for the Cubs after the 2024 season.
The part with a direct Astros angle: Divish wrote that a big reason more names haven't come out is Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto's "disgust with internal leaks." Seattle wants to keep its process private, Divish wrote, "particularly with the Astros and the Los Angeles Angels, AL West rivals, in the process of hiring new managers."
Kanzler has never managed. Dipoto said that's "not a prerequisite, but it would be preferred," and added, "We will go outside to hire our manager. We need fresh thought."
Seattle Sports 710's Shannon Drayer weighed in on X at 3:01 p.m., calling Kanzler "a very interesting candidate as he has not managed but has coached in the majors and has good player development background, something many orgs have favored of late." She added that the Mariners are "apparently not limiting themselves to experienced only."
Anaheim: An Angels list that looks a lot like Houston's
Jared Tims, who covers the Angels' minor leagues for the Angels site Talkin' Halos (not a newspaper beat), posted Wednesday at 11:02 p.m. a quick list of possible Angels GM options: "Matt Klein, Kevin Ibach, Jeff Kingston, Randy Flores, Charles Cook, Josh Stein, Jared Banner." He also listed managerial options: Rodney Linares, Néstor Corredor, Tony Mansolino, Danny Lehmann and Ryan Flaherty.
Several of those GM names are already tied to Houston's search. Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine (Tims spelled it "Klein") and Cardinals assistant GM Randy Flores are among the outside candidates who have drawn "serious interest" from the Astros, according to Rome. Charles Cook is one of the Astros' own assistant GMs and, according to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, has interviewed for the Houston job. MLB Trade Rumors, summarizing McTaggart's report, also named Rays assistant GM Kevin Ibach as a candidate.
Tims' post is one writer's look at options, not a report that the Angels have contacted anyone. But the overlap is real: the Angels declined manager Kurt Suzuki's 2027 option Wednesday (more below), and both clubs could end up shopping in the same aisle.
Chicago: Sox On 35th on Barfield
Sox On 35th, a White Sox fan site (not a newspaper beat), ran a post from Joe Binder Thursday, shared on X at 9:34 a.m., on assistant GM Josh Barfield's Astros candidacy. Citing Rome, Binder listed Barfield with Flores, Kleine, Royals senior vice president Scott Sharp and Braves assistant GM Ben Sestanovich as candidates who have "drawn serious interest."
Binder called Barfield, 43, general manager Chris Getz's "right-hand man" since Chicago hired him in September 2023. Before that, Barfield worked his way up in Arizona from scout in 2016 to director of player development in 2019. Binder credited that Diamondbacks system with producing players such as Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, Brandon Pfaadt and Daulton Varsho.
The White Sox angle is that Barfield has turned down a chance like this before. Last offseason, Binder wrote, the Orioles talked with him about a GM role under Mike Elias, and Barfield pulled his name and told the White Sox that his goal was to see the job through with a winner in Chicago. With the White Sox coming within one win of the ALCS this year, "the team has seemingly become the winner Barfield previously wanted to help build," Binder wrote. "Whether that changes his outlook remains to be seen."
St. Louis: Heavy on Flores and the Cardinals' farm
Heavy's Cardinals contributor Hunter Mulholland wrote up Flores' candidacy Wednesday morning and shared it on X at 10:20 a.m. It mostly recaps earlier reports, with a Cardinals-side view of what Houston would get.
Mulholland wrote that Flores, a former big-league pitcher, joined the Cardinals' front office as scouting director in 2015 and was promoted to assistant GM in 2018. He credited Flores with helping take St. Louis from one of the league's lowest-ranked farm systems to MLB.com's No. 4, and wrote that "the Astros need someone that can take their No. 29 ranked farm and build it back up the way that Bloom and Flores did in St. Louis."
He also noted that Flores could be an Angels target if John Mozeliak, his old boss, becomes the permanent decision-maker there, and that the rebuilding Cardinals may "do their best to keep Flores."
What's next
Rome has reported that the Astros could name a GM before the World Series ends. Once that happens, the new GM's first big job is a manager, and Seattle and Anaheim are hiring at the same time. We'll keep tracking how other cities are covering the Astros in this daily roundup.
Around the MLB
Angels move on from Suzuki. The Angels declined Kurt Suzuki's 2027 option Wednesday after a 62-100 season and offered him a special assistant role, MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams reported. "I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his abilities as a manager," interim GM John Mozeliak said in a statement.
No surgery for Ohtani. Shohei Ohtani won't need offseason surgery, and the Dodgers still plan on him pitching in 2027, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the club's season-ending press conference, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
Rushing has elbow surgery. Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing had surgery Wednesday to repair a partially torn UCL in his right elbow, MLB.com's Sonja Chen reported. The timeline for him to catch again is nine months, around mid-to-late July, and he's expected back as a hitter well before then. The Los Angeles Times' Maddie Lee also reported the hybrid internal brace procedure.
Garver retires. Catcher Mitch Garver has retired after parts of 10 seasons with the Twins, Rangers and Mariners, MLB Trade Rumors reported, citing Ted Schwerzler of minnesotasportsfan.com. Garver hit .229/.325/.432 with 110 home runs, including 31 for Minnesota's 2019 "Bomba Squad," and won a World Series with Texas in 2023.
Sources: Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times; Shannon Drayer, Seattle Sports 710, on X; Chandler Rome, The Athletic, on X; Jared Tims, Talkin' Halos, on X; Sox On 35th (Joe Binder); Heavy (Hunter Mulholland); MLB Trade Rumors; MLB Trade Rumors on Suzuki; Bob Nightengale, USA Today, on X; MLB.com (Sonja Chen); Los Angeles Times (Maddie Lee); MLB Trade Rumors on Garver.
