Why Seattle Mariners Managerial Hire is Most Important Franchise Decision Since 2018

After a disappointing 76-86 season that saw them miss the playoffs, the Seattle Mariners have a long offseason shopping list.

They need to figure out how to replace the production from free agent All-Star Randy Arozarena, how to improve the team speed from the slowest team in baseball and how to improve baseball's worst defense.

And oh yes, they also need a new manager after parting ways with skipper Dan Wilson at the end of the season.

Everything the Mariners need to do this offseason is important, but the managerial hire carries extreme weight. For me, it's the biggest decision the franchise has made since the decision to tear down the roster and "re-imagine" things after the 2018 campaign.

We spoke more about it on Tuesday's edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast:

"If this manager hire goes right, we're talking about a half decade or so of really competitive years of possible division titles and possible World Series berths. I really believe that. The American League is still wide open. The American League West is a sieve for at least the next couple of years. If the Mariners get this hire right and can capitalize on that, then we are talking about a team that can go on a half-decade run of really special baseball.

If they get this hire wrong, we are talking very much so about wasting the prime years of Cal Raleigh, wasting the prime years of Josh Naylor, wasting the prime years of Brian Woo, wasting the most formative years of Kade Anderson. We're talking about wasting the prime years of Julio Rodriguez, and given what the contract looks like for Julio in a couple of years and all the options, etc, if this goes really poorly, it could even be the difference between Julio Rodriguez being here for the entirety of his career and not.

It is that big. There is that much hinging on this managerial hire for the Mariners. I fully believe that."

The Mariners have said that the search for a new manager will be "exhaustive," and so far, we haven't heard much in the way of candidates. They are most likely just in the "due diligence" phase.

You can expect managers with prior experience (Brandon Hyde, Rocco Baldelli, David Ross, Chris Woodward) to be involved, and you can also expect first-timers like New York Mets coach Kai Correa to be involved as well. There will also be names we've never heard of in the mix. Buster Olney of ESPN recently told us that the M's can't afford to miss on a first-time manager, and he would hire someone with experience.

Wilson spent 2-plus years as the manager of the Mariners, helping them win the American League West and earn a spot in the American League Championship Series in 2025. He took over in August of 2024 from Scott Servais, who was fired during his ninth season.