According to a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today on Sunday, the Seattle Mariners are expected to fire manager Dan Wilson if they don't make the playoffs.

Nightengale reports the same for Joe Espada, who is the manager of the Houston Astros, who the M's are battling with in the American League West right now.

Seattle enters play on Sunday at 58-66, a disappointing eight games under .500, and five games back of Houston in the division.

While some fans will be thrilled at the news of Wilson's possible dismissal, there are several things at play, so let's take a look bit-by-bit.

A 14-year veteran of the Cincinnati Reds and Mariners, Wilson played 12 years in Seattle, serving as the backstop on most of the best teams in M's history.

Seattle has been to the American League Championship Series four times in franchise history, with Wilson playing catcher on three of those teams (1995, 2000 and 2001).

A lifetime .262 hitter, he was a one-time All-Star as a player, and he's served in various capacities since his playing days ended: He was a roving instructor and a part-time broadcaster before being elevated into the manager's chair in 2024.

While some people were rankled about how his hiring went down, you can't argue with the results of his first season-plus in that chair.

After taking over for Scott Servais in August of 2024, Wilson went 21-13, nearly leading the Mariners to the playoffs.

In 2025, the M's went 90-72, winning the American League West for the first time since 2001 and advancing back to the ALCS.

This year, the situation has been entirely different, as the M's have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball.

It's always a hard question, and a team's disappointing season is never just one person's fault.

Cal Raleigh has turned from one of the best hitters in baseball to one of the worst. Rob Refsnyder, who was signed this past offseason to help complete the M's offense, cratered before being designated for assignment. Brendan Donovan, thought of as the missing piece for Seattle, has barely played 30 games because of multiple injuries.

On top of that, Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Matt Brash, Gabe Speier, Carlos Vargas and JP Crawford have all spent time on the shelf, with Crawford (3) and Brash (2) taking multiple trips to the injured list.

So, it's not all his fault, but there certainly have been some questionable decisions along the way, and the discontent of the fans at those decisions is very real.

I've said over and over and over again that I don't believe that Wilson deserves to be fired in-season. I believe that last year's ALCS run should give him immunity from that. But that immunity isn't forever, and if the team continues to play well below it's expectations over the final 38 games, then a different conversation can happen.

We'll simply have to wait and see how the team plays, responds and how Wilson handles things down the stretch. Because it sounds like his job depends on it.

The Mariners, if they are going to move on from Wilson, have to handle the situation delicately. Regardless of what you think about him as a manager, he's still a franchise icon, and any kind of change needs to be given proper respect for his career.

The Mariners will play the Astros on Sunday at 4:20 p.m. PT. Bryan Woo will pitch against Hunter Brown.