What happened: The Los Angeles Angels vacancy puts all three current managerial openings in the AL West, alongside the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros. Anaheim declined its option on Kurt Suzuki and offered him a special assistant role.

Why it matters: Three rivals hiring at once forces them to compete over the same candidate pool and timeline. Joe Espada has already emerged as a candidate in Seattle after Houston moved on, opening the possibility of an intra-division move.

What to watch: Seattle aims to conclude its search by the end of the month, with Houston and Anaheim interview lists to follow.