The Mariners made a tough call on their president of baseball operations.
Prior to the start of this season Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto was confident the team would make a World Series run in 2024. But after the Mariners collapsed over the second half, Dipoto acknowledged the team’s offensive ineptitude in a disappointing season.
In an attempt to shake things up, Seattle fired long-time manager Scott Servais in late August, replacing him with former player Dan Wilson. Dipoto, however, will not suffer the same fate this year. The Mariners will continue with Dipoto leading the front office, according to Seattle Times Sports on X. While specifics of the extension are not available, the executive is expected to remain with the team next season and could be in Seattle beyond 2025.
Dipoto joined the Mariners front office as the team’s general manager at the end of the 2015 season. He was then promoted to president of baseball operations toward the end of 2021. In two full seasons as Seattle’s president entering this year the team went 178-146. And in eight full seasons with Dipoto in the front office the Mariners had a 616-578 record coming into 2024.
They reached the playoffs just once during Dipoto’s tenure but it was a memorable appearance. The team’s 2022 Wild Card berth snapped a 21-year playoff drought.
Mariners manager Scott Servais is gone but Jerry Dipoto will return as president
Seattle started the 2024 season hot, thanks in large part to the best starting rotation in baseball. By mid June the Mariners had built a 10-game lead in the American League West. However, the team went cold over the second half and the Houston Astros managed to erase the deficit and build their own division lead.
Entering play on Thursday the Mariners are 4.5 games behind the first-place Astros. They’re five games back in the AL Wild Card race behind the Kansas City Royals for the final postseason berth. Since returning from the All-Star break the Mariners have gone just 19-24 while the Astros have kept the pressure on, going 25-19 in that stretch.
To Seattle’s credit, the team attempted to address its flagging offense at the trade deadline. The Mariners acquired outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays and brought in veteran Justin Turner from the Toronto Blue Jays.
While adding Arozarena created a quality outfield with the former Tampa Bay player in left, two-time All-Star Julio Rodriquez in center and newly extended Victor Robles in right, the deadline deals failed to move the needle. Seattle’s offense remains near the bottom of the league in batting average, home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, OPS, WPA and fWAR.
Now it seems as though the Mariners will waste an excellent season from their starting pitchers. The team dropped down to number 18 in the most recent MLB Power Rankings. And fans in Seattle will once again look to Dipoto to increase the team’s talent pool in hopes of making a playoff run next year.
