Kurt Suzuki Emerging as a Potential Candidate for Twins’ Managerial Opening

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins are once again at a crossroads. Following a 92-loss season and another October spent watching from home, the organization announced that Rocco Baldelli would not return as manager in 2026. It marked the team’s fourth playoff miss in the past five seasons and a sobering reminder that the momentum from their 2023 postseason breakthrough quickly evaporated (even if it was tied to ownership cutting payroll). 

Not all of the team’s shortcomings can be directly attributed to Baldelli. The roster struggled with inconsistency on both sides of the ball, and injuries once again depleted the core's depth. Still, after back-to-back disappointing seasons, it was clear someone had to take the fall for a club that underperformed relative to expectations.

President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey acknowledged the problematic nature of the decision but emphasized that the change was part of a broader evaluation of the organization.

Quote

“It’s incumbent upon me as the head of this to talk with ownership about what the right direction is going forward,” Falvey said. “And we had those discussions privately about what that means and where we are and what we’ve learned, not just about one month of baseball but about over the course of a longer period of time. And ultimately, in those discussions, we collectively arrived at this being the right time for a new voice and a new direction. It’s not about Rocco. I said this yesterday. This isn’t about a failure of Rocco for this season. This is a collective underperformance from our group.”

Now, the attention turns toward the next voice to lead the dugout. Minnesota’s search is expected to cast a wide net, with both internal candidates and external names being considered. Among the early possibilities is a familiar face behind the plate.

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, former Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki is reportedly in the running for the Twins’ managerial vacancy. Suzuki, 42, currently serves as a special advisor in the Los Angeles Angels’ front office and is also believed to be under consideration for the San Francisco Giants’ open job. The Angels themselves are searching for a new manager, making Suzuki’s name one of the most talked-about in early offseason circles.

Suzuki has yet to manage or coach at the professional level, but his baseball résumé commands respect. During his 16-year Major League career, he played for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, Angels, and Twins, where he earned his lone All-Star selection in 2014. That season, Suzuki slashed .288/.345/.383 (.727) with 34 doubles and a 105 OPS+, providing leadership and stability for a young Twins pitching staff.

After retiring following the 2022 campaign, Suzuki transitioned immediately into a front office role with the Angels, While Suzuki lacks on-field coaching experience, his long tenure as a catcher could make him an appealing candidate in today’s game. Catchers are often viewed as natural leaders, tasked with managing pitching staffs, reading opposing hitters, and maintaining clubhouse communication. Suzuki’s reputation as a respected, steady presence during his playing days fits the mold of several recent managerial hires across the league.

It’s worth noting that Stephen Vogt, last year’s American League Manager of the Year, made a similarly rapid transition. Vogt retired in 2022, spent a single season as a coach with the Seattle Mariners, and then took over the Cleveland Guardians' job, leading them to back-to-back postseason appearances. For a Twins front office that values communication and collaboration, Suzuki could represent an intriguing blend of player perspective and modern analytical understanding.

What exactly are the Twins looking for in their next manager? Falvey cautioned against narrowing the search too tightly.

Quote

“Once you start defining the exact traits you need, then you actually start thinning the pool,” Falvey said. “You start from a place of saying, ‘Well, that person doesn’t fit what I’m looking for.’ I think instead, we start with a more blank sheet of paper because if you look around baseball, and you look at the postseason right now, there are all kinds of different managers marching around the postseason right now.”

Still, the organization’s direction will undoubtedly play a role in determining the right fit. With payroll questions lingering and an uncertain competitive window, candidates will want to know whether they’re inheriting a team poised to contend or one headed for a transition phase.

Quote

“They’re definitely going to want to know,” Falvey added. “The type of manager we’re going to hire is going to be able to blend all of the things that will come with any type of team you have. That’s what you want, right? You want a manager that, no matter what the 26 or the 30 or the 40 players you use over the course of a season, that their view is we’re going to make this team the best it can be. You’re going to approach it with, you need to develop at this level.”

In that sense, Suzuki might check more boxes than his résumé initially suggests. He is a bridge between eras, a veteran of both the “old school” clubhouse and the modern analytics-driven environment. He is connected across multiple organizations, respected by players, and familiar to Twins fans who remember his calm presence during some transitional years in the mid-2010s.

The Twins are looking for a new voice, and while Suzuki’s may not be the loudest, it could be precisely the kind of leadership tone Minnesota needs right now.

Should the Twins try to hire Suzuki before another team makes their move? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Doctor Wu]

Hmm... that's a name I hadn't thought about at all as a potential managerial candidate. But after reading this article, Suzuki certainly warrants consideration. The only problem could be the competition for his services from other teams also looking for a "fresh voice" as manager. Not sure if he is the one we need, but if he is capable of doing what Vogt did in Cleveland, I'll be happy to have him. 

[dxpavelka]

3 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Hmm... that's a name I hadn't thought about at all as a potential managerial candidate. But after reading this article, Suzuki certainly warrants consideration. The only problem could be the competition for his services from other teams also looking for a "fresh voice" as manager. Not sure if he is the one we need, but if he is capable of doing what Vogt did in Cleveland, I'll be happy to have him. 

Feels to me like writing an article about a guy who has never managed or coached at any level being a candidate for the manager job of a big league baseball team is just for clicks.

[old nurse]

Suzuki was a Ryan player. This outfit has a bias against almost all the Ryan players 

[Riverbrian]

29 minutes ago, Cody Christie said:

You’re going to approach it with, you need to develop at this level.”

Good

Please approach it this way. Find a manager who will approach it this way.

 

 

[Reptevia]

I’d prefer Plouffe. Probably neither though. It will likely be someone with little to no experience who won’t push back against a very active FO. 

[Whitey333]

Suzuki would be a fine choice.  He's likable, knowledgeable, and good experience as a player.  Plus someone with no managing experience would be cheap.  Also a new manager with very little experience would be easy for Falvey to micro manage and manipulate.  

[In My La Z boy]

13 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Suzuki would be a fine choice.  He's likable, knowledgeable, and good experience as a player.  Plus someone with no managing experience would be cheap.  Also a new manager with very little experience would be easy for Falvey to micro manage and manipulate.  

Falvey might only have another year left. He'd be wise to hire an excellent clubhouse and field manager, give him some talent, and stay in the press box and watch. I like Suzuki. 

[Otaknam]

An intriguing choice. Catchers have a unique perspective on the game management, especially on the pitchers and defense. Hopefully the next manager isn’t mandated to use analytics on every decision, like Falvey seemed to require of Rocco. Let the manager use his instincts when he chooses. 

[USAFChief]

Not a fan of hiring a manager who has never been a manager.

 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Falvey's quotes gave me some insight into what is wrong with the Twins organization. For example: Rocco's firing "Is not about Rocco".  If it is not about Rocco, then why fire him? What was it that Rocco did or did not do to justify his firing? Or was it just a move to shift the blame for the organization's failure to be successful? Another example:  When discussing the traits they are seeking in a manager Falvey said: "Once you start defining the exact traits you need, then you start thinning the pool...I think instead start with a more blank sheet of paper." Wait, what? That makes little sense to me. The pool must be thinned anyway. That is the whole process.  The exact traits being sought are important.  If you don't know what you are looking for, how will you know when you find it? "I'll know it when I see it, but I don't know what it is that I'm looking" for is plain stupid.

[jorgenswest]

Any current managers that have never been on a major league coaching staff or minor league manager or even college manager? Even a single season would bring a lot of learning.

[jmlease1]

I think I'd like to see someone with some managerial experience, especially with all the young players we have coming up, but if you're going to pick someone who doesn't than a former catcher like Suzuki is a pretty reasonable choice.

Most ex-MLB players don't go spend years working in the minors or sitting on someone's bench it seems. So if having high-level playing experience is a criteria, you're unlikely to get the managerial experience.

I doubt Suzuki is the only contender on the list that Falvey pretended he didn't already have started.

[Woof Bronzer]

This is exactly the kind of guy I thought they'd hire:  cheap, hungry, no experience, someone who will be thrilled to have a managing job but doesn't have his own philosophy or strategies so he'll be more than happy to let Falvey drive.  

I'm less interested in the actual hire but in what the hire says about Falvey's approach.  Has he truly learned that his approach hasn't worked, and is willing to change course like he claims?  Is he truly willing to hire a different voice, someone who might challenge him?  Or is he just going to hire Rocco 2.0?  

Initial reports aren't promising but the next few weeks will be interesting to say the least...

[Permanent Twins Fan]

I have to say, this isn't someone who was on my radar. I do in theory like the idea of hiring a former catcher as manager because catchers always have to understand their pitchers, and opposing hitters. That perspective could help as a manager. I'm not sure what I think of Suzuki managing the Twins, but I am not entirely opposed to the idea. 

[Woof Bronzer]

 

1 hour ago, Riverbrian said:

Good

Please approach it this way. Find a manager who will approach it this way.

Interesting - for all the chatter around here about the role of a manager, it seems like Falvey believes that player development is indeed part of the manager's job.  

[Doctor Gast]

I've liked Suzuki as an offensive catcher. I'm not sure how that will translate into managing or even coaching. An elite defensive catcher who is a leader & has a good perspective of how the game is played is a big plus in managing. Although I'd love a manager who has those traits, I don't think most catchers these days have those characteristics. If Suzuki has those traits, Posey will hire him; if he doesn't, he won't. & if he doesn't, then I don't want the Twins hiring him. At this point, IMO, it doesn't really matter because the main problem still exists.

[nicksaviking]

You had me at Special Advisor for the Angels.........

[Riverbrian]

1 minute ago, Woof Bronzer said:

 

Interesting - for all the chatter around here about the role of a manager, it seems like Falvey believes that player development is indeed part of the manager's job.  

I've often thought about the relationship between a front office and manager and I believe that they have to be on the same page. 

I know it's a Hollywood script but for example purposes. I've watched Moneyball and I believe that there is no way that a front office would should or could tolerate Art Howe as depicted in the movie. The front office can't go one way while the manager goes the other. 

In my mind... Rocco would have to be a manifestation of the front office. If not you have a schism. 

If Rocco was truly the cause of the bottleneck. OK... Derek... show me what you can do now that the bottleneck has been removed but my next question is... why did you allow it for so long if Rocco is the fall guy? Rocco is your employee. Was your employee.  

Development takes commitment to developing. It takes faith in the product that you are producing.

Strip mining your left handed hitters is not a commitment to development. We know that Rocco strip mined every single young left handed hitter to a significant degree beyond what the other 29 teams even considered doing with the platoon advantage. Yet the front office was out there picking up right handed hitting handcuffs to help Rocco do it. 

I have a hard time separating the two positions so if he is looking for a manager committed to development. Great... Show me.   

 

  

[Trov]

Not that I have any say in manager, but I personally think someone that can adapt is important.  Not someone that is all analytics or all anti analytics.  I felt Rocco, and it may have been driven more by the FO, was almost all analytics in his decisions and made the game a math problem.  If you are playing a purely probability driven game, it makes sense to always go with odds, but analytics in baseball are based on history, not predictive.  The fact that there are other influences on outcomes always going by the odds based on history may not be the best decision in the moment. 

For example, the 3rd time through the line up stat.  Yes, many pitchers do worse the 3rd time through, but there are times a guy is just dealing that day and appears to be unhittable.  The hitters and missing, not hitting anything hard.  Then we get to the 3rd time through and Rocco would pull the guy despite low pitch count nothing hit hard no walks because he was expecting everything to change.  Maybe it would have, but sometimes you need to give the pitcher a shot if they are doing well. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

In an effort to save more money for the owners, Suzuki can be the back-up catcher to  Jeffers while he manages. That would have saved Vazquez's 10 million salary plus since Suzuki will be so excited for the opportunity to jump in as a real major league manager, he will do it for the minimum manager's salary which will be a buck nighty-eight per game.  

[tarheeltwinsfan]

10 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I've often thought about the relationship between a front office and manager and I believe that they have to be on the same page. 

I know it's a Hollywood script but for example purposes. I've watched Moneyball and I believe that there is no way that a front office would should or could tolerate Art Howe as depicted in the movie. The front office can't go one way while the manager goes the other. 

In my mind... Rocco would have to be a manifestation of the front office. If not you have a schism. 

If Rocco was truly the cause of the bottleneck. OK... Derek... show me what you can do now that the bottleneck has been removed but my next question is... why did you allow it for so long if Rocco is the fall guy? Rocco is your employee. Was your employee.  

Development takes commitment to developing. It takes faith in the product that you are producing.

Strip mining your left handed hitters is not a commitment to development. We know that Rocco strip mined every single young left handed hitter to a significant degree beyond what the other 29 teams even considered doing with the platoon advantage. Yet the front office was out there picking up right handed hitting handcuffs to help Rocco do it. 

I have a hard time separating the two positions so if he is looking for a manager committed to development. Great... Show me.   

 

  

Rocco was a manifestation of the front office. And therein lies the problem.

[jorgenswest]

46 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

I've liked Suzuki as an offensive catcher. I'm not sure how that will translate into managing or even coaching. An elite defensive catcher who is a leader & has a good perspective of how the game is played is a big plus in managing. Although I'd love a manager who has those traits, I don't think most catchers these days have those characteristics. If Suzuki has those traits, Posey will hire him; if he doesn't, he won't. & if he doesn't, then I don't want the Twins hiring him. At this point, IMO, it doesn't really matter because the main problem still exists.

Isn’t part of being an elite defensive catcher physical skill that he may have been lacking? He must have brought something to catcher. He was not great at throwing out runners and led the league in stolen bases given up three times. He wasn’t a great framer. He must have been pretty good at those other hard to measure aspects of playing catcher or he wouldn’t not have had the lengthy career there. I think it is those hard to measure aspects that will translate to managing better than throwing out runners and framing pitches well.

[nicksaviking]

32 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Strip mining your left handed hitters is not a commitment to development. We know that Rocco strip mined every single young left handed hitter to a significant degree beyond what the other 29 teams even considered doing with the platoon advantage. Yet the front office was out there picking up right handed hitting handcuffs to help Rocco do it. 

I have a hard time separating the two positions so if he is looking for a manager committed to development. Great... Show me.   

 

  

I agree, Falvey was at minimum complicit. 

He's still here though, so here's his chance to show that he understands the problem and that he's willing to do something different. If he doesn't get it right, it's certainly his last chance.

[Riverbrian]

6 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I agree, Falvey was at minimum complicit. 

He's still here though, so here's his chance to show that he understands the problem and that he's willing to do something different. If he doesn't get it right, it's certainly his last chance.

I've always said... the manager would never be my target. He's too low on the food chain. 

It's always the people who hire the people that deserve the concentric circles on their back. 

 

[Blyleven2011]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Good

Please approach it this way. Find a manager who will approach it this way.

 

 

Find a manager that doesn't use spread sheets during batting and on field practice , teach skills at this level with your eyes  ...

The organizations direction is unclear at this time ,  what a crock  ....

If they have no idea what the direction is from supposedly Falvey's statements which is always the long way around the barn with nothing productive said ...

The direction of the team whatever the payroll is , is to take the talent from AAA and transition that talented player at the hardest level and groom that player to be a better talent  ( that is where Rocco and his coaches have failed ) ...

The organization always seems lost in the direction it should go ...

The main reason you play a season of 162 games is to play in the world series , the desire to win is not seen in the falvey / rocco players ...

You can't construct a team and hope they win enough games to draw fans to the stadium  ...

The pretending has to stop , the team needs to be constructed of talented players with the desire to win and be contenders ...

Yes catchers have been highly regarded being very capable of being good managers  ...

Mike Redmond has some experience as a manager with a crappy Florida Marlins team and was let go because of a new front office making changes adding their personal  ...

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Falvey's quotes gave me some insight into what is wrong with the Twins organization. For example: Rocco's firing "Is not about Rocco".  If it is not about Rocco, then why fire him? What was it that Rocco did or did not do to justify his firing? Or was it just a move to shift the blame for the organization's failure to be successful? Another example:  When discussing the traits they are seeking in a manager Falvey said: "Once you start defining the exact traits you need, then you start thinning the pool...I think instead start with a more blank sheet of paper." Wait, what? That makes little sense to me. The pool must be thinned anyway. That is the whole process.  The exact traits being sought are important.  If you don't know what you are looking for, how will you know when you find it? "I'll know it when I see it, but I don't know what it is that I'm looking" for is plain stupid.

The “feel”, to me, is like reading a bunch of resumes that are all “what you are looking for” on some level(s) but then when you meet the right candidate in the room it makes sense to hire that one.

Baldelli not being at fault but needing a change for the Team is like a congregation needing a new priest or minister, nothing wrong with the present one, but you need a new voice.

Hiring a guy that hasn’t coached or managed is a big risk but if a guy like Morneau were available, would many at TD balk? Shouldn’t matter what the guys stats were……..who he played for ………gotta be a rational thought choice, not emotional, can’t be “to draw fans”.

[JD-TWINS]

I don’t understand the logic of people here when discussing how talent needs to be “developed” by the Manager? People sight failures of players to blossom and stick at the MLB level under Baldelli.

EVERY team I’ve paid attention to in MLB over past 50 years (at age of being able to comprehend the details) PLAYERS COME & GO. How many guys came up in ‘72 or ‘78 or ‘83 or ‘94 or ‘22 that were guys that “had great promise” ……”4 tool guys” ………. “power guys” and only baseball geeks even remember them. This happens in every organization. Do some organizations have better “teachers” at Manager helm? Sure! Do many develop better through their Minor League system? Sure! Do some draft better? Sure! ………… The % of guys that come up with Twins and wash out or do not meet their potential, to me, is the same thing happening in nearly every organization - every year. It’s cyclical, lack of development working out & if no $$ are spent it gets worse & worse from the bottom up.

[Nashvilletwin]

2 hours ago, tarheeltwinsfan said:

Falvey's quotes gave me some insight into what is wrong with the Twins organization. For example: Rocco's firing "Is not about Rocco".  If it is not about Rocco, then why fire him? What was it that Rocco did or did not do to justify his firing? Or was it just a move to shift the blame for the organization's failure to be successful? Another example:  When discussing the traits they are seeking in a manager Falvey said: "Once you start defining the exact traits you need, then you start thinning the pool...I think instead start with a more blank sheet of paper." Wait, what? That makes little sense to me. The pool must be thinned anyway. That is the whole process.  The exact traits being sought are important.  If you don't know what you are looking for, how will you know when you find it? "I'll know it when I see it, but I don't know what it is that I'm looking" for is plain stupid.

100%.  Falvey’s quote is absolutely ridiculous. It’s just ludicrous to hear those words come out of his mouth.

Given the Twins apparent new strategy, there are definitely many definable attributes the team should be looking for in a new manager.  Here are a few:

1. Proven ability to successfully transition promising proven minor league talent into above average every day major leaguers by both understanding individual player strengths, weaknesses, and needs and having the knowledge, systems and staff in place to ensure that development is real and continuous.

2. Demonstrable success in getting players (both individually and as a team) to achieve beyond expected results (i.e. getting the most out of the roster; there most certainly are analytics to prove proficiency in this area).

3. Proven ability to identify, attract, retain, and develop a competent and cohesive coaching staff.

4. Proven in-game/on-field baseball knowledge with demonstrable flexibility to suitably and successfully adjust strategies in real time as well as over longer periods based on changes in roster construction and player circumstances/utilization.

5. Demonstrable ability to understand and employ modern analytical approaches while simultaneously being able to apply situational understanding as appropriate.

6. Proven leader able to command respect from rookies through high-priced veterans via experience, clearly defining and communicating expectations, and building a unified team culture.

(After rereading these, it appears, except for probably #6, we would be looking for essentially the anti-Rocco)

 

[bunsen82]

Top 7 names currently on betting sites

Gardenhire 2/1, Conger 3/1, Hunter, 5/1, Hyde 6/1, Shelton 8/1, Ross 9/1, Pierzynski 12/1 

Of those options 

1. Hyde (experience and success and led a young team)

2. Shelton (experience but not given the tools to succeed)

3. Gardenhire (cheap last option)