According to reports, Scott Servais is the front-runner to become the next manager of the Seattle Mariners.
After a major shake-up in Seattle, the Mariners appear to be finally closing in on a new manager to replace the outgoing Lloyd McClendon. The guy that appears to be ready to take over the reigns as the new manager of the Mariners is former big league player and current front office executive, Scott Servais.
Servais played in the majors from 1991-2001 and then spent after that working in front offices. He’s most recently been the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Angels.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Servais is a strong front-runner for the job.
Sources: Scott Servais strong front-runner for #Mariners’ managerial position.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 22, 2015
It’s an interesting move because Servais has spent his post-playing career in the front office and not down in the dugout. Still, with his big league experience, he has plenty of experience on the field and dealing with the on-the-field side of things.
It’s no secret that the Mariners greatly under-performed for the types of checks that they have been handing out the last couple of seasons. In 2014, it looked like they were going to be one of the best stories in baseball as they fought valiantly but fell just short for one of the final spots in the postseason.
In 2015, the team never got it going and the $240 million man, Robinson Cano, struggled from the plate and did not put up the numbers someone with his contract should be putting up. A whole variety of issues plagued the Mariners this past season, and it was clear that the team needed a new outlook and to shake things up as they retool the team.
The Mariners have talent on the roster, that can’t be denied. But what can be stated is that they did not play to the level of their abilities last year and the past regime was not getting the most out of their players.
It’s clear that if Servais is indeed the guy for the job, then they think he can take a team that was not performing to expectations and get them performing at a level that will bring playoff baseball back to Seattle.