The Mariners and manager Dan Wilson came close to winning the franchise’s first American League pennant a year ago, but he is now out of a job after a bitterly disappointing 2026. Despite high preseason expectations and a wealth of talent, the Mariners went 76-86 and finished with the fourth-worst record in the AL. Even though their season was derailed, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto doesn’t expect to have any trouble finding a capable replacement for Wilson.
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When discussing the Mariners management opening on Monday, Dipoto said (via Adam Jude of the Seattle Times): “There isn’t a single candidate in baseball who wouldn’t be excited to take on this job, this stadium, this city, the talent on this roster.”
Neither Wilson nor his predecessor Scott Servais, Dipoto’s other pick in Seattle, had experience as a big league skipper. Dipoto revealed he would prefer a candidate who has succeeded in the majors this time, according to Jude, and called for a culture “reset.”
“We need new thinking” said Dipoto, who has been head of the M’s baseball department since 2015. “We need something new. It could be a change in programming. It could be a change in messaging. It could be a change in language.”
While Dipoto naturally hasn’t named any potential candidates, he and general manager Justin Hollander are “making phone calls throughout the league” to find possible replacements for Wilson. The Mariners have discussed Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who appears to be a leading candidate, industry sources told Jude. Lovullo, whose contract is expiring, just completed his 10th and potentially final season in Arizona. He was 750-768 with six seasons above .500, two playoff berths and an NL pennant in the desert. Although the team went a respectable 86-76 in 2026, they missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. Without a new deal in place, Lovullo could end up in Seattle or elsewhere this offseason.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, Dodgers special assistant Rocco Baldelli, Dodgers first base coach Chris Woodward and Rays senior advisor Brandon Hyde are a few other experienced names to watch, according to Jude. As the Mariners’ bullpen coach in 2023, Vogt has formed a close relationship with the catcher Cal Raleigh. Vogt, his wife and their children live in Olympia, Washington, during the winter, although Jude notes that it’s “highly unlikely” to go wild this offseason.
Vogt won AL Manager of the Year in each of the previous two seasons and won three straight division titles with the Guardians, meaning he’s in no danger of losing his job. If Vogt is under contract for next season, hiring him would require a rare trade involving a manager. The Mariners pulled off a feat by sending Lou Piniella to the Rays for outfielder Randy Winn in 2002, but a Vogt deal done 24 years later seems like a pipe dream for Seattle.
Baldelli had a rather successful run from 2019-25 in Minnesota, where he won AL Manager of the Year once, went 527-505 and made three postseason appearances. The Twins canned Baldelli after he stumbled to a 70-92 record last year, but before joining the Dodgers front office, he expressed interest in managing again.
Woodward, who played in Seattle in 2009 and coached there from 2014-2015, led the Rangers to a 211-287 record from 2019-2022. Hyde’s Orioles went 421-492 and made the playoffs twice during his six seasons at the helm. The O’s fired him after he started 15-28 in 2025. Hyde resurfaced in the Rays’ front office last winter.
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