Former Mariners manager Eric Wedge to join ESPN

Coming off of a sour end to both the season and his relationship with the organization, former Seattle Mariners’ manager Eric Wedge looks to follow in the shoes of Ozzie Guillen, Terry Francona, and Manny Acta, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Guillen joined ESPN for the postseason in 2011 following his release from the Chicago White Sox and subsequent hire as new manger of the Miami Marlins. “Tito” Francona joined ESPN for the 2012 season after the Boston Red Sox suffered a historical collapse in 2011 and was fired. Acta, released from the Cleveland Indians following a fourth place finish in 2012, served as an analyst on Baseball Tonight during the 2013 season.

Now, Eric Wedge looks to be the latest manager to come join the Baseball Tonight crew, following a season with the Seattle Mariners that saw the team finish in fourth place in the AL West with a record of 71-91. That also spelled the end of Wedge’s tenure with the team, which lasted three years, during which he compiled a 213-273 record. Following his release, he was publicly critical of the Seattle front office and General Manager Jack Zduriencik, specifically saying that management was “plagued by total dysfunction and a lack of leadership” in a piece in the Seattle Times.

Wedge has also been manager of the Cleveland Indians and in 2007 was voted as Manager of the Year.