The Seattle Mariners are looking for a new manager to replace the dismissed Dan Wilson.
With that in mind, they’ve got at least two new candidates.
MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer reported the news Monday night of the new interviews on their way for Seattle.
Mariners’ 2 New Manager Candidates
Kramer reports that the Mariners are going to meet at least two candidates for interviews in Seattle this week:
- Joe Espada, former manager of the Houston Astros
- Jason Kanzler, Cubs director of player development
Kramer writes: “The in-person interviews for Espada and Kanzler will feature a carwash of meetings, spanning ownership, the front office and members of the coaching staff that were retained for 2027, among others. Some within the organization that will be included in this week’s process explicitly flew into town to take part, in addition to Espada and Kanzler.”
Espada was the Astros’ manager for the past three seasons and didn’t have his contract renewed after the season. He had been their bench coach before that.
Kanzler was a former player who has worked for both the Astros and the Cubs in their minor league development systems. He was also a hitting coach for the Astros on the same staff as Espada under Dusty Baker when they won the 2022 World Series.
“Although Kanzler has an extensive coaching and player development background, he has no managerial experience at any level and is the more outside-of-the-box candidate next to Espada,” Kramer writes. “But Kanzler has been praised for his forward-thinking views on the game and ability to communicate, the latter of which the Mariners have suggested is a priority.”
Kramer adds that the Mariners have already interviewed Chicago White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven, but that he’s no longer in the running for the job.
Rocco Baldelli Update
The Mariners had an interview scheduled with former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli.
That interview will no longer be happening, though.
“A third was also scheduled — with former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli — though he withdrew his name from consideration over the weekend for family considerations, a source said, confirming an initial report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal,” Kramer wrote on Monday night.
The Mariners are hoping to get this hire right, because they’re coming off a disappointing 2026 season. They had been a game away from the World Series in 2025 but didn’t even make the playoffs to follow that up.
It won’t be Baldelli, it appears, but the Mariners are continuing their pursuit of multiple candidates.
Mariners To Interview 2 New Manager Candidates