Morosi: M’s in favorable position for manager search

The MLB Network insider mentioned a couple of names to consider for the position.

Oct 14, 2026, 11:34 AM Updated: 11:39 am

(L-R) Victor Robles, Julio Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone of the Seattle Mariners run off of the field on Sept. 1, 2026, in Boston. (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

(Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)

With the manager search being the number one topic currently surrounding the Seattle Mariners, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi was hit with a number of questions about potential candidates in his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports.

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While names including former Astros manager Joe Espada and former Cubs skipper David Ross have generated recent buzz, he offered another he would like to see get a look.

“One name to mention, who I’ve heard is somewhere part of the process, is Brandon Hyde who I think would be a lot better on his second time through,” he told Wyman and Bob. “I thought he did a very good job to get that Orioles team to the playoffs twice. He didn’t really have, in my opinion, enough pitching to really make a run at the World Series, but he got that team to the playoffs multiple times, which in that division is very difficult to do.”

Morosi added the year Hyde has since spent in the Rays’ front office has made him a better and more well-rounded candidate this time around. He also put Chris Woodward, who posted a subpar 211-287 record with the Rangers but has since spent a season in the Dodgers’ front office and two seasons as their first base coach, into the second-time-is-a-potential-charm category.

These are just a few of the names who could potentially follow Dan Wilson. The Mariners have a wide variety of candidates to choose from with little competition for their services.

“Right now the dynamics of the search are still very much in the favor of the Mariners in that there’s a relative scarcity of other teams that are at least openly searching for a new manager,” Morosi said.

Morosi pointed to the uncertainty that comes with an expiring collective bargaining agreement as a factor that could cause teams to shy away from taking on the task of hiring a new manager. Regardless of situation, he believes the Mariners’ job will be attractive to most.

“The Mariners are the best job of the of the major ones that could be opened (also Houston) because you still have the pitching for at least the next year or so,” he said. “And if you get the position player group figured out and aligned the way that it should be with Cal (Raleigh) and Julio (Rodríguez) – and maybe they end up making a trade for a left fielder to replace Arozarena – this is still a really good team in what we saw this year has proven to be a very winnable division.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.