The Seattle Mariners’ stunning collapse has led to a change in leadership, with the club expected to replace manager Scott Servais with Dan Wilson, according to sources familiar with the Mariners’ plans. The athleteThe official announcement is expected on Thursday.
The Mariners turned a 10-game lead in the American League West into a five-game deficit in the standings, putting what looked like a run to the postseason in jeopardy for a team still searching for its first title. Servais oversaw a frustrating situation — the Mariners’ elite pitching staff was consistently wasted by a slumping offense that ranked last in the league by multiple measures.
Servais, 59, was in his ninth season as the Mariners’ captain. Since being hired in 2016, he has compiled a 680-642 record (a .514 winning percentage), though the club’s only postseason appearance during his tenure came in 2022. The Mariners won a playoff series, beating the Blue Jays in the wild-card series before being swept by the Astros in the ALDS.
While the ending was bittersweet, the playoff appearance ended a 21-year playoff drought, which at the time was the longest in professional sports in North America. But the Mariners failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2023 and are now in danger of missing out again in 2024, despite a promising start to the season.
Wilson, who replaced Servais, is a fixture of the team’s glory days. Wilson played for the Mariners from 1994 to 2005, spending most of that time as an assistant to Randy Johnson. Wilson, 55, has never been on a major league coaching staff or a manager at any level, but he is a familiar face on the current team. He served as the club’s special assignments coordinator during spring training, where he was responsible for coaching the team. According to the Seattle TimesHe developed a close relationship with starting quarterback Cal Raleigh. He also served as a broadcaster on the team’s ROOT Sports channel.
Wilson takes over a team that is 64-64, five games out of a playoff spot and has lost three straight. It’s unclear whether Wilson will get the job permanently or temporarily. Either way, the move will put more scrutiny on Jerry Dipoto, who took over as general manager in September 2015. The Mariners begin their next series Friday against the San Francisco Giants in Seattle.
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(Scott Servais photo: Brandon Slaughter/Getty Images)
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