The Mariners have made several changes in the first week of their offseason. Manager Dan Wilson will not return. The club left behind four other coaches. One person who will remain in his position is president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. The top executive received President John Stanton’s seal of approval earlier this week. Stanton sat down for an interview with Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. He praised recruiting, player development and the health of the organization during Dipoto’s time at the helm. “All of those things led me to believe that Jerry is the right person to lead the baseball organization,” Stanton said. “But we needed a new coach, and that coach would work for him. But he would be responsible for achieving that championship at the major league level.” Dipoto took over as Seattle’s general manager near the end of the 2015 season. He was promoted to POBO in 2021. Dipoto immediately put together an 86-win season in his first year at the helm. Seattle ended a decades-long playoff drought in 2022. The Mariners reached the American League Championship Series last season for the first time since 2001. The club won 90 games for the third time in the last six years. The 2026 campaign did not go as planned. The defending American League West champions played .500 for most of the season. That was enough to keep them in the playoff race in a watered-down American League, but Seattle faded in the second half. The team went 28-37 after the All-Star break and finished third in the division. The Mariners have had very few managerial changes since Dipoto took over. He hired Scott Servais in 2016. Servais spent eight years in charge before giving way to Wilson during the 2024 season. Stanton confirmed that Dipoto will “lead the process” to find a new coach. The organization is reportedly looking for an experienced skipper. While the search for a manager will be a priority, the Mariners will also be searching for a new left fielder. Free agent Randy Arozarena is expected to test the market. Jude reiterated that point in an article today outlining the reasons why the outfielder will not return to the club. That included a comment from Dipoto at Monday’s news conference that seemingly hinted at the team’s plans. “Obviously, we have free agents coming,” Dipoto said. “We need to fill those gaps, and they’re not small gaps to fill, especially Randy in left field, but we’re excited about our young players.” Arozarena was ranked number 4 in the final edition of our Free Agent Power Rankings. He had a tremendous season in his final year with Seattle, posting a wRC+ of 151 with 26 home runs and 26 stolen bases. Arozarena scored a career-high 113 runs as a key catalyst in the Mariners lineup. As for Arozarena’s landing spot, Jude notes that he prefers to play on the East Coast. The veteran spent most of his career in Tampa Bay before being traded to Seattle before the 2024 trade deadline. Arozarena lives in Tampa and wants to join a team that has spring training in Florida, according to Jude. Seattle can extend Arozarena a qualifying offer and he will receive draft pick compensation if he turns it down, which is the most likely scenario. Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images
