So far, we know that the Seattle Mariners are interested in Joe Espada, Jason Kanzler and Rocco Baldelli for their managerial opening.

Of course, there could be others that we don't know about at this time, but with only a week until November, it does seem like we should be getting down to the finish line soon. As a result, it doesn't feel like there's much more time for dark horse or unknown candidates to emerge.

We focused on Kanzler's candidacy earlier this week, so let's look at Baldelli here.

A native of Rhode Island, Baldelli was a first-round selection of then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000. He made his major league debut in 2003 and instantly performed well, finishing third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. After an also-solid second season that saw him hit .280 with 16 homers, injuries began to mount. He missed all of 2005 with injury and then never played more than 92 games in a season after that. Those 92 games came in 2006, and then he played 35 in 2007, 28 in 2008, 62 in 2009 and 10 in 2010. He finished his career with a .278 batting average, 60 home runs and 60 stolen bases.

Baldelli spent seven years with the Minnesota Twins as skipper, going 527-505 (.511). He won 101 games in 2019 and took the Twins to the playoffs three times, however, he only won one playoff series, going 3-8 in October.

The Twins let him go after the 2025 season and he spent this season working as a special assistant for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series where they were beaten by the Milwaukee Brewers. But, he certainly has a multitude of valuable experiences, the ability to blend analytics with traditional methods, a playing experience that makes him relatable, and he's seen one of the best organizations in the sport up close.

We spoke to ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney on the most recent 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast and asked him about Baldelli's candidacy and credentials.

"I think he would be a perfect fit for their situation. He was a terrific manager in Minnesota. As you know, the problem in the end with the Twins was the mixed messaging, the back and forth of ownership and what they wanted.

And I think over time, managers, their shelf life can expire. I saw Rocco in April. He'd just taken a consultant's job with the Dodgers. He loved it. And I imagine that there are things that he learned in his time with the Dodgers about collaboration that he absolutely would love.

I think he would fit the market really well. He's a terrific person. And, you know, he checks the box when we talk about managerial experience.

You know, to me, just on the face of it, and I'm not in the room, and I don't know what his answers are to the Mariners, but to me, he'd be a great candidate.

To the point that I've wondered, after talking with him in the spring, that if and when Dave Roberts ever decides he wants to step away as the Dodger manager, I thought Rocco would be perfect for the Dodgers. And that that's how good of a candidate he is. I think that he would become an instant candidate in LA for the most powerful franchise in sport if, in fact, they were ever looking for a manager."

That's certainly high praise from Olney, and frankly, if he can be good enough for the Dodgers, he should be good enough for the Mariners.

But, we still don't have a real inkling as to which way the Mariners are leaning at this time. Seattle is coming off a 76-86 season that saw them finish third in the American League West.