The Mariners can change the name on the manager’s office door. But wouldn’t it be nice if that also meant better answers for the hitter walking through it? That’s what makes Jason Kanzler’s emergence in the search so interesting.

According to The Athletic, the Cubs’ director of player development is among a group of candidates that now includes former Astros manager Joe Espada and Dodgers special assistant Rocco Baldelli. The report describes the search as advanced, with additional candidates still involved.

Kanzler gives us a much different résumé to consider. For a Mariners team coming off a 76-86 season, his background deserves more than a quick mention before we return to the familiar names.

He’s only 36, but he has spent three seasons overseeing Chicago’s farm system after working in Houston as a major-league hitting coach and minor-league hitting coordinator.…