Angels naming Kurt Suzuki new manager after Albert Pujols talks fizzled

The Angels made a quick pivot to choose their new manager.

Kurt Suzuki, a former big league catcher who finished his career with the Angels, will become the team’s new manager, The Post’s Jon Heyman reports.

The 42-year-old has worked as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian the past three seasons.

The Angels have chosen former catcher Kurt Suzuki to be their new manager. Getty Images

The Angels had been in talks with their former superstar, Albert Pujols, but talks broke down due to differences between the two sides, Heyman first reported Monday.

Suzuki played parts of 16 seasons in MLB, the last two of which were in Anaheim.

He was an All-Star in 2014 with the Twins and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019.

Suzuki was a career .255 hitter with a .314 on-base percentage, 143 home runs and 730 RBIs, and also played for the A’s (2007-12), Twins (2014-16) and Braves (2017-18).

The Angels opted not to hire Albert Pujols. AP

The Angels (72-90) missed the playoffs for the 11th straight season this year and haven’t won a playoff game since their 2009 ALCS loss to the Yankees.

They last made the playoffs in 2014, earning the American League’s top seed before being swept by the Royals.

The team moved on from manager Ron Washington, who left the team in June due to heart surgery, and interim manager Ray Montgomery.

They last had a winning season in 2015 and have wasted the brilliance of Mike Trout, the three-time MVP, who is now 34 and isn’t the player he used to be due to injuries.

The franchise also wasted Shohei Ohtani, who’s now taken the Dodgers to the World Series for the second straight year.