For the better part of a decade, ex-MLB catcher Scott Servais was a consistent calm for the Seattle Mariners. However, after a cruel summer, Servais was informed Thursday that he had officially been relieved of his post.
A Time For Change
Servais’ tenure in Seattle will be stamped with only one playoff berth and a 680-642 (.514) overall record, and with the team at exactly 64-64 entering Friday, upper management felt the time for change was right now.
“It was a very difficult decision to make, but I thought one that our team was in need of,” Mariners PBO Jerry Dipoto said.
Notably, the Mariners were fairly successful over the first few months of the current MLB campaign.
By mid-June, Seattle had built a substantial first-place lead within the American League West. Still, the house has since come crashing down. From June 19 on, the M’s have gone 20-33, and subsequently land 5.5 games behind the Houston Astros (and 7.5 back of the final A.L. Wild Card spot).
Slip’N’Sliding Through Summer
To compound frustrations, Seattle has played egregiously poor over the past 10 days.
Since August 13, the Mariners have been victorious only once (1-8). Over that span, they’ve scored just 2.89 runs per game. Despite having a dominant pitching staff that boasts the likes of Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Bryan Woo, that level of offensive production is unacceptable.
At the plate, Seattle has compiled a .666 team OPS in 2024, which ranks 28th of 30 MLB franchises.
Superstar center fielder Julio Rodriguez (.260 BA) is not having nearly the campaign that he did last year. Meanwhile, catcher Cal Raleigh (.212 BA) has been banged up from time-to-time, although he has managed to crush 27 home runs this season.
Momentum was thought to be building with the Mariners’ present core of players, as a 2022 playoff appearance had that organization hellbent on reaching the first World Series in team history — the 29 other current MLB clubs have all played in the Fall Classic at one time or another, but not yet Seattle.
Restoring The Emerald City
Moving forward, Dan Wilson will take over managerial duties for the M’s. As a former star in the Pacific Northwest, he is already a member of the franchise’s Hall of Fame (2012). Wilson comes immediately from the organization’s ranks as a minor-league catching coordinator.
For a team founded in 1977, Wilson will serve as the 21st manager in club history.
Rumor has it that Servais initially caught wind of the decision from a media report prior to receiving official word from the Mariners. That would be unfortunate if true given that Servais and Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto have worked together throughout numerous stops in baseball.
“Scott has been my friend for many, many years. And I can’t stress enough how tough this day was for me and tougher for him, frankly. And that it’s hard for me to put into words,” Jerry Dipoto told attending media.
Following a day off, the Mariners resume action on the diamond Friday night (10:10 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Park, hosting the San Francisco Giants for a weekend interleague series. At time of authorship, DraftKings Sportsbook lists Seattle (-142 odds) as a slight favorite in the opener versus San Francisco.
Looking for a long-shot wager? On August 23, DraftKings has the Mariners priced at seven-to-one odds to come back and win the AL West this year.