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Braves old friend named Angels manager

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 2:41 PM ET

Most reports initially pointed to future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols landing the managerial position in Los Angeles, where he spent a decade with the Angels as a player. However, those talks eventually fizzled out, and instead, former Braves catcher Kurt Suzuki will take over for Ron Washington, who was relieved of his duties at the end of the season.

Breaking: The Los Angeles Angels are hiring Kurt Suzuki as manager, sources tell @JeffPassan.

Suzuki, 42, spent 16 years as a Major League catcher and has spent the last three seasons as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

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— ESPN (@espn) October 21, 2025

Kurt Suzuki spent two seasons with the Braves, and it might have been the best stretch of his career. Over 189 games behind the plate, he hit .276 with 30 homers and an .825 OPS, helping Atlanta capture a division title in 2018, his final year with the team.

He went on to spend two seasons with the Nationals and two more with the Angels before retiring in 2022. Now, he takes over an Angels organization that has been anything but stable in recent years. Ron Washington did a better job than he’ll likely get credit for, but given his health concerns, it’s understandable that Los Angeles wanted to go younger.

Hopefully, Suzuki gets more time to steady the ship than Washington did.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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