The Mariners’ second-half collapse led to a managerial change, but it surely doesn’t appear it’ll spur a shakeup on the high of the entrance workplace. Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Occasions report that Mariners’ possession determined earlier this summer time to retain president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. The report signifies that common supervisor Justin Hollander — the No. 2 in baseball operations — can even return.
It appears possession made the choice to not change the entrance workplace at a time when the Mariners on their method to an AL West title. They acquired out to a robust begin because the Astros and Rangers have been struggling and jumped out to an enormous 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 fireplace, 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 just isn’t contingent on the crew 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 perimeters might need quietly labored out an extension earlier within the yr with out asserting it publicly. In response to the report, Hollander signed a multiyear extension when he was promoted to GM again in October 2022.
The upcoming season can 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 yr, 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 one of the best 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 via 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 crew 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 probability they land above .500 for the fourth straight season, however a win complete within the mid-80s can be an apparent disappointment. They’d want an enormous 17-4 end to match final season’s report. Successful 88 video games once more would in all probability have been sufficient to take the AL West in what has been a down yr for the division. They’re impossible to get there, although, they usually’d want a significant stoop 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 probably the greatest pitching improvement 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 might span the higher a part of 20 years. Even with Rodríguez’s down yr, that’s in all probability not one the group regrets.
Nonetheless, the bottom-line outcomes haven’t gotten the crew into October with any sort of regularity. They rebuilt early in Dipoto’s tenure — in all probability the best name contemplating the crew’s payroll outlook and skinny farm system on the time — however they’ve been in win-now mode for not less than 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 government 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.
