The Mariners’ second-half collapse led to a managerial change, but it surely doesn’t appear it’ll spur a shakeup on the prime of the entrance workplace. Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Occasions report that Mariners’ possession determined earlier this summer season to retain president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. The report signifies that normal supervisor Justin Hollander — the No. 2 in baseball operations — may even return.
It appears possession made the choice to not change the entrance workplace at a time when the Mariners on their solution to an AL West title. They bought out to a robust begin because the Astros and Rangers have been struggling and jumped out to a giant lead within the American League West. As of June 18, they’d a 10-game lead, however issues have turned bitter since then. They’ve cooled because the Astros caught hearth, in order that Seattle now sits 4.5 video games behind Houston within the division. It was amid this free fall that Servais was dismissed and changed by Dan Wilson.
Whereas the circumstances have modified for the more serious, Divish and Jude write that Dipoto’s job standing is just not contingent on the staff salvaging a now unlikely playoff berth. The Mariners have by no means been forthcoming with particulars on Dipoto’s contract. Divish and Jude counsel the edges might need quietly labored out an extension earlier within the 12 months with out asserting it publicly. In accordance with the report, Hollander signed a multiyear extension when he was promoted to GM again in October 2022.
The upcoming season might be Dipoto’s tenth on the helm in Seattle. The M’s have made the playoffs as soon as throughout his tenure. They snapped a 21-year playoff drought in 2022 and knocked out the Blue Jays within the wild-card sequence. They have been swept by the Astros within the Division Sequence. Seattle narrowly missed the postseason final 12 months, ending simply behind Houston and the Rangers in a tightly contested AL West. They completed the season at 88-74.
Whereas the M’s missed the postseason in two of the previous three years, they received between 88 and 90 video games in every. Expectations have been understandably excessive coming into this season. Seattle has arguably the most effective beginning rotation within the majors. Whereas the entrance workplace was seemingly hamstrung by possession’s payroll constraints that prevented them from making an enormous free agent splash, the Mariners acquired Jorge Polanco, Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger and Luke Raley in an effort to reshape the offense.
None of Garver, Polanco or Haniger have performed as much as expectations. Julio Rodríguez has slumped by way of the worst season of his profession. Regardless of bringing in Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner on the deadline, Seattle’s offense has fallen flat. They entered play Thursday with a .217/.304/.365 staff batting line. That’s unacceptable manufacturing even in MLB’s hardest residence park for hitters. Their fortunes haven’t modified for the reason that deadline. The M’s personal a .213/.319/.350 slash going again to July 30.
Thursday’s win over Oakland pushed the Mariners again above .500 at 71-70. There’s a great likelihood they land above .500 for the fourth straight season, however a win whole within the mid-80s could be an apparent disappointment. They’d want an enormous 17-4 end to match final season’s report. Profitable 88 video games once more would in all probability have been sufficient to take the AL West in what has been a down 12 months for the division. They’re not possible to get there, although, they usually’d want a significant hunch from the Astros to keep away from lacking the playoffs once more.
To Dipoto’s credit score, there are many positives to his tenure. Seattle has been among the finest pitching growth organizations within the recreation. They hit on first-round choices of Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, whereas mid-round picks Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo have blossomed into high-quality arms. The M’s acquired and prolonged Luis Castillo whereas locking up Rodríguez because the face of the franchise on a deal that would span the higher a part of twenty years. Even with Rodríguez’s down 12 months, that’s in all probability not one the group regrets.
Nonetheless, the bottom-line outcomes haven’t gotten the staff into October with any sort of regularity. They rebuilt early in Dipoto’s tenure — in all probability the appropriate name contemplating the staff’s payroll outlook and skinny farm system on the time — however they’ve been in win-now mode for at the very least the final 4 seasons. Barring a late push, they’ll solely have one playoff look in that stretch.
Dipoto has been the game’s most aggressive govt on the commerce entrance. They’ll once more head into the offseason needing to reshape the lineup. That ought to portend one other trade-heavy winter in Seattle, one they hope will get them previous Houston in Wilson’s first full season as supervisor.
