Seattle Mariners Reportedly Close to Final List of Managerial Candidates

The Seattle Mariners could be nearing the homestretch of their managerial search.

Several reports have stated the Mariners are looking at Halloween (Oct. 31) as the deadline for when they're hoping to hire a new skipper.

A report from Seattle Times writer Adam Jude said the M's managerial search included as many as 40 candidates.

There's been little information as to who specifically has been involved with the search, with only a few names floated out beyond speculation.

Whoever the Mariners have in mind for the open manager position, the search is likely nearing its final stages.

According to a report on "X" from MLB insider Jim Bowden, Seattle is hoping to get to their final list of candidates by mid to late next week. He also co-opted the report that's been floated out that the team is hoping to hire a skipper Oct. 31.

There's been four names this offseason directly tied to the Mariners' open managerial job.

Seattle has already been reported to have interviewed Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, who was dismissed from his job as the Astros skipper earlier this month.

Various inside reports have also stated that the Mariners have interest in former Minnesota Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli and former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is "somewhere in the process."

Seattle was also interested in former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who reportedly pulled himself out of consideration for the job in the Pacific Northwest.

Mariners president of baseball operations said in an end-of-season news scrum that although managerial experience isn't a prerequisite for the team's next skipper, it would be preferred. And the reported candidates display that.

Baldelli managed the Twins from 2019-25 and posted a 527-505 overall record. In his seven years with Minnesota, the team won three American League Central titles, but didn't advance past the American League Divisional Series. He was named the American League Manager of The Year in 2019.

After Baldelli was fired as manager, he was hired as a special assistant to baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hyde has a similar timeline in his career as Baldelli. The former was fired during the 2025 season after being hired ahead of the 2019 year. He led Baltimore to the playoffs twice, including an American League East title in 2023, and was named the AL Manager of The Year the same season. He worked as a special advisor to the baseball operations department of the Tampa Bay Rays this season.

Espada's spent the last three seasons as manager of the Astros. He's won the American League West title in two of those three years.