I've been thinking a lot about the loud criticisms of Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson this season.

I've gone back-and-forth with people on social media about bullpen choices and pinch-hitting decisions, and that's all well and good, but after Tuesday night's piggyback situation, there are whole new levels of criticism for the M's third-year skipper.

"Is he in charge, or is he just a puppet following a plan from the front office?" "Does he have the ability to thwart a plan? Should he have more guts in thwarting a plan?" These are all things that are being asked, and I even asked Buster Olney about front office and general manager relationships on Thursday's edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast.

At one point, Olney said this:

'My sense is that Dan's instinct, given his background, is that he wants to work with the front office. And so if the front office is recommending something, on the scale of the 30 managers, I think he would be one of the ones most apt to say, “Okay, we'll go with that.”

After speaking with Olney, and after hearing that comment, I've landed here:

"I was in New England covering the Red Sox, and Alex Cora and Chaim Bloom very clearly did not see eye to eye.

Well, the organization eventually — it was a power struggle, and the organization chose Alex Cora, and they fired Chaim Bloom. Chaim Bloom and Alex Cora did not have organizational agreement. Alex Cora won that battle. Chaim Bloom got fired.

Not having organizational agreement, it comes with consequences.

Then fast-forward to this year: Alex Cora and Craig Breslow were not on the same page. Well, Alex Cora got fired. The organization didn't take his side this time.

Not having agreement, not having alignment — again, it comes with consequences.

We talk about Pete Carroll, we talk about John Schneider with the Seahawks. When they got off the same page, Pete Carroll got fired. Or when they started butting heads, Pete Carroll got fired.

So there is something to be said for you and your boss coming to a plan, sticking with it, and having the relationship be copacetic, okay?

I understand why Dan Wilson wouldn't want a me-versus-you situation. I understand why he wouldn't want to go against everything that the front office says, or at least everything that they hatched out together.

Again, does it make him a puppet? You might think so. I don't happen to think so. I think that makes Dan Wilson a human being.

Think about every relationship that you have — personal, with your partner, husband or wife, with your friends, with your boss. What do we always say? Pick your battles. Pick your battles."

And on that note, what do I want to see? I want to see Wilson be able to pick his battles. Maybe Game 50 of the season against the White Sox on a Tuesday wasn't that spot. Maybe next week will present an opportunity, or maybe next month. It's completely understandable to want to present a unified front and to want to work with those who hired you.

But there's also something to be said for pushing back when the time calls for it. Here's hoping Wilson can do it when it is.

The Mariners will take on the Kansas City Royals on Friday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. PT. Logan Gilbert will pitch against Noah Cameron. The Mariners are 24-27 while the Royals have lost nine of 10.

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