Passan: 4 names Mariners could target in manager search

The Dan Wilson era is over in the Pacific Northwest following his two-plus seasons as manager of the Seattle Mariners.

The team announced Sunday following its season finale that Wilson will not return next season.

Seattle Mariners players speak on manager Dan Wilson’s exit

With Wilson out as manager, Seattle is now in search of its 22nd skipper in team history and third since president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto was hired by the club following the 2015 season.

Wilson was hired to be a first-time manager following the departure of Scott Servais – another first-time manager – in August 2024. Wilson led the club to its deepest postseason run ever in 2025, but also just oversaw perhaps the most disappointing season in club history, a 76-86 finish after entering the year with World Series expectations.

It is expected, however, that Dipoto and general manger Justin Hollander will return in 2027, per MLB.com.

After the first two managers under Dipoto have been first-timers, ESPN’s Jeff Passan is intrigued to see which direction the Mariners go for the third.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what exactly they do prioritize, because I think part of hiring a manager is indicative of what you think of yourself and your own stuff,” Passan said prior to Wilson’s departure during a recent edition of Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “If you’re hiring somebody who does not have a whole lot of experience, inherently, you’re going to have more front office input, and sometimes it can be difficult to find an MLB managerial candidate who has experience and doesn’t want to use that and put that input in.

“So, hiring a manager who’s been around the block, it can be a tricky thing because he comes with ideas and thoughts that may not align perfectly with what the organization has, but he might still be the best candidate for the job.”

Passan believes that despite the underachieving year the Mariners had, their managerial opening is among the most desirable in baseball. He said he would rank only the Philadelphia Phillies job higher if interim manager Don Mattingly isn’t retained.

Who could the Mariners try to hire as their next skipper? Passan named a few potential targets with recent success in MLB during his conversation with Brock and Salk. Here’s a glance at each.

M’s manager candidates

• Torey Lovullo. The 61-year-old Lovullo’s contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks expires after this season, and it’s still uncertain if he will return to the desert next year. He spent the past 10 seasons leading the D-backs, compiling a 750-768 record while earning two playoff appearances, a berth in the 2023 World Series and 2017 NL Manager of the Year. The club has had a winning record six times under Lovullo. It was also the first team out of the playoffs in the NL this season, finishing two games behind Philadelphia for the NL’s third wild-card berth with an 86-76 record.

Lovullo, a former infielder who played eight seasons in the majors, played 36 games for the Mariners in 1994. He spent nine seasons as a manager in the minors from 2002-10 before serving as the first base coach of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2011-12 and the bench coach of the Boston Red Sox from 2013-16.

• Joe Espada. The 51-year Espada has spent the past spent the past three seasons leading the division rival Houston Astros, which includes claiming AL West titles in 2024 and 2026. However, he could be on the move since the Astros are set to hire a new general manager this offseason, which oftentimes leads to a coaching change. The Astros have an 256-229 under Espada, who was hired as a first-time manager.

Espada, who played in the minor leagues for 10 seasons, served as the Astros’ bench coach from 2018-23, a stretch that included winning the World Series in ’22. He also had various roles with the Miami Marlins from 2010-13 and the New York Yankees from 2015-17.

• Rocco Baldelli. After spending six seasons as the manager of the Minnesota Twins, the 44-year-old Baldelli was a special assistant to the president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. During his time in Minnesota, Baldelli led the Twins to a 527-505 record, three AL Central titles and three playoff appearances. His stint included earning AL Manager of the Year during a 101-win campaign in 2019, his first-ever year as a manager.

Baldelli was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2000 MLB Draft and spent six of his seven seasons in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was with the Rays for eight more seasons (2011-18) serving as a special assistant to baseball operations, first base coach and major league field coordinator.

• Brandon Hyde. The 52-year-old Hyde is serving as a senior advisor in baseball operations with the Rays. He spent the previous six-plus seasons as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles before his firing in May 2025. His stint in Baltimore included taking over during a rebuild, two playoffs appearances, an AL East title and 2023 AL Manager of the Year honors. The Orioles had a 421-492 record under Hyde.

Hyde, a former catcher and first baseman, spent four seasons in the minor leagues as a player. He was a minor-league manager in the Miami Marlins’ organization from 2005-09. He was named the Marlins’ interim bench coach during the 2010 season before taking over the role full-time for the 2011 campaign. Hype then served as the Chicago Cubs’ bench coach in 2014 and first base coach from 2015-18, which included being a part of the Cubs’ World Series winning team in 2016.

Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. 

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