Following the departure of Dan Wilson, the Seattle Mariners are doing their due diligence as they search outside the organization for their next manager. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mariners are "casting a wide net" of candidates that includes a mixture of former managers. The organization is prioritizing managerial experience as a key component of what they’re looking for in their next skipper.
In the wake of Wilson’s departure, ownership seems intent on finding stability in the dugout. To do so, the Mariners would have to break a long-running organizational trend. They haven't hired a manager with prior major league experience since Lloyd McClendon in 2013, a tenure that lasted just two seasons.
Here are some of the candidates Seattle is reportedly considering: As things stand, Espada could be a frontrunner for the job. The Mariners have already received permission to speak with Espada, whose contract is expiring following the Astros' Wild Card loss to the Chicago White Sox. If the Mariners can poach Espada from an in-division rival, it wouldn't be without precedent.
The Chicago Cubs pulled off a similar maneuver when they lured Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023. Espada brings strong experience, having won the 2022 World Series as the Astros' bench coach under Dusty Baker. Over the past three seasons as Houston's manager, he compiled a 256–229 record along with two AL West division titles.
With former managers on the Mariners' radar, they are showing interest in ex-Minnesota Twins skipper Rocco Baldelli. After being let go by the Twins following the 2025 season, he spent this season with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an executive in baseball operations. Before transitioning into coaching, Baldelli spent seven seasons in the majors playing for the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox.
He then rejoined the Rays' front office and coaching staff from 2015 to 2018, serving as a special assistant, first base coach and field coordinator. After spending three seasons under manager Kevin Cash, Baldelli left to take over the Twins in 2019. He was named AL Manager of the Year as a rookie skipper and went on to spend seven seasons with the Twins, posting a 527–505 record while securing three AL Central division titles.
Sticking with AL experience as a managerial candidate, the Mariners could look toward former Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. He brings substantial experience leading a rebuild into a contender, along with prior coaching stints with the Chicago Cubs and the then-Florida Marlins. Hyde made a name for himself by turning a rebuilding Orioles squad into a legitimate contender in a competitive AL East.
Not only did he post three straight winning seasons, but that run was capped by a 101-win campaign in 2023, where he won AL Manager of the Year. He also played a big role in developing young core talent like Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. After Baltimore let Hyde go 43 games into last season, he took on a senior advisor role with the in-division Rays.
After spending the past few seasons out of the dugout, former Cubs skipper David Ross is a name that could surface as a serious managerial candidate. He posted a respectable 15-year MLB career as a player and won World Series titles with the Red Sox in 2013 and the Cubs in 2016. Following his retirement, Ross stepped directly into managing when he replaced Joe Maddon ahead of the 2020 season.
Ross’ tenure in Chicago came with mixed results during a period of roster transition, as he compiled a 262-284 record across four seasons with just one playoff appearance. He was dismissed from the Cubs in 2023, and they eventually replaced him with Counsell. If the Mariners want prior managerial experience alongside a two-time World Series champion who won rings in both leagues, Ross checks all of those boxes.
