The Seattle Mariners have one less potential candidate for its open managerial role.

On Thursday, after being floated out as one of the top names for the Mariners' skipper position, it was reported in a post on "X" by Arizona Republic writer Nick Piecoro that Torey Lovullo signed a two-year extension to return as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lovullo's previous contract expired after this season. His new extension lines up with the deal for current Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen.

Due to Lovullo's potential free agency, he was floated out as a name to look for due to his stretch of success and accolades in his decade managing the Snakes.

Since taking the skipper job with the National League side in 2017, Lovullo has led Arizona to two playoff appearances, including an NL pennant in 2023 as a wild card squad and a National League Divisional Series berth in 2017. The Diamondbacks have finished with a winning record in six of Lovullo's 10 seasons at the helm of the program. He's posted a 750-768 record in the regular season and an 11-10 record in the playoffs.

Lovullo was perhaps the most experienced potential manager on the market for Seattle and has the World Series experience that has evaded the M's in their 50-year history.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a news conference Monday that the team will be looking outside the organization for a new skipper. He also said managerial experience isn't a prerequisite, but would be preferred.

Two other big names with managerial experience have been mentioned as potential candidates: former Minnesota Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli and former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. Both skippers were in their previous roles at the helms of those respective teams from 2019-2025.

Baldelli posted a 527-505 record in his seven seasons in Minnesota. He won three American League Central titles but didn't advance past the American League Divisional Series round.

Since being let go as manager of the Twins, Baldelli has worked in the Los Angeles Dodgers' front office as a baseball operations assistant.

Hyde had a 421-492 record at the Baltimore manager. He was fired in 2025 after a 15-28 start. Before then, he led the Orioles to two playoff berths in 2023-24, but failed to win a playoff game in either postseason berths. He did win a World Series on the coaching staff of the Chicago Cubs in 2016 as the team's first base coach.

Both managers won AL Manager of the Year honors in their careers.

According to an article from Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach Kristopher Negron and New York Mets bench coach Kai Correa could also be potential candidates.

Negron spent time on Seattle's coaching staff from 2022-25 as a first and third base coach before being hired by the Pirates in the offseason following the '25 season in his current role.

Correa spent his collegiate career near the Emerald City. He played for the University of Puget Sound from 2007-10 in Tacoma, Wash. He briefly served as interim manager for the San Francisco Giants in 2023 and led the team to a 1-2 record in three games. He's also worked with the Cleveland Guardians as a major league field coordinator, director of defense, baserunning and game strategy, head assistant coach, infield coach and third base coach, among several other roles.

The best manager in franchise history, Lou Piniella, left the team after the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays acquired him in a trade with the Mariners.

Stephen Vogt has been at the helm of the Guardians since 2024 and has led the team to three-straight AL Central titles, including this season.

Vogt was previously Seattle's bullpen and quality control coach. There's been speculation that the Mariners could pursue a similar avenue that led to Piniella departing the franchise and acquire the two-time AL Manager of the Year via trade from Cleveland.