Seattle Mariners: 5 Potential Managerial Candidates if Servais Goes

Let’s just get this out of the way right now: there is a strong probability that Scott Servais will remain the manager of the Seattle Mariners for 2020. The odds are probably over 90%.

But that hasn’t stopped some national writers from putting Servais “on the hot seat” and we like to be prepared for anything. So if Servais is fired, or more than likely transitioned to a front-office role with the Mariners, it would be nice to know who is out there.

The job itself is a solid one, so they should attract some quality candidates. There is a young core close to the majors, the facilities are state of the art, and there is very little pressure to win right away.

The owner is willing to spend and the GM is creative and willing to make deals to fill gaps on the roster. The fan base is solid (great when they win) and, of course, it would be one of the 30 jobs on earth with the title of MLB manager, so a lot of people would be interested. But who are some of the candidates? Let’s look at 5 potential replacements (in no particular order).

1. Manny Acta

Let’s start with an in house candidate, current Mariners bench coach Manny Acta. Typically, when a team moves on from management, most of the MLB staff is cleared out as well. But Seattle seems to love their current coaching staff and for some good reasons.

Tim Laker has had a productive year as the hitting coach and helped changed the profile of Tom Murphy, Omar Narvaez, Shed Long, Jake Fraley, and others. Paul Davis, the pitching coach, has a sharp, analytical mind and is on the cutting edge of pitch development.

If the team loves the current coaching staff, bringing in a complete outsider would likely require multiple staff changes, a move they may not be willing to make. One potential solution is keeping the band together and promoting Manny Acta.

Acta has 2 stints as an MLB manager under his belt. Neither stint went all that well, as Acta went 372-518 with a rebuilding Cleveland and Washington Nationals clubs. But Acta is highly respected by both front office personnel and players. Despite the 2 failed stints as a manager, Acta is still a candidate for other managerial jobs, including the Mets.

Acta is fluent in both English and Spanish, a major plus in today’s game. He embraces the analytics and uses them effectively on infield shifts. It wouldn’t be typical for a team to promote a first mate to the captain of a “sinking ship”, but that analogy doesn’t apply to the Mariners. If Servais was promoted, Acta would be a strong candidate for the job.