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.

3.Joe Girardi

Girardi would be a big name that could excite the fan base. The former Marlins and Yankees skipper is a 4-time World Series winner (1 as a manager) and navigated the New York media for a decade.

He has plenty of playoff experience and also has experience with rebuilding teams. He is a good baseball man and well respected throughout the game. He owns a 988-794 record as skipper and would provide a new voice for a group of young players trying to end the longest playoff drought in the majors.

Girardi isn’t as creative as Maddon and doesn’t have the inside track like Acta, but his name and presence carry significant weight, so if he is interested, Girardi would likely be interviewed for the opening.

There is some belief that Girardi may be pegged as the next manager of the Chicago Cubs and if given the option, Girardi would almost certainly choose Chicago. We don’t know if he is a great in-game manager, but he certainly isn’t bad. Like Maddon, this may be more about Girardi’s interest in you than the other way around, but only time will tell.

4. Raul Ibanez, Joey Cora, or Dave Valle

So, I am technically cheating by adding 3 names here, but anytime you talk about managers, it doesn’t take long for people to either demand to re-hire Lou Piniella or a recently retired player like Ichiro. Well, unlike those two options, the 3 names above actually make some sense.

We know that Joey Cora has been considered for managerial positions in the past. The former Mariners second baseman and current Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach, Cora has interviewed for the Brewers job and way back in 2008, Cora interviewed for the Mariners job.

Cora is well established in coaching circles and has served as a bench coach and infield coach, as well as manager of the Double-A Altoona Curve. He has the experience and resumes for a job, he just needs somebody to take a chance on him.

Valle, the former Mariners catcher, and broadcaster, now works for MLB Network and has managerial experience under his belt, albeit as the Evertt Aqua Sox manager. He is smart, insightful, and understands where the current game is at.

Ibanez may be the most interesting name. Smart, hard-working, well respected, this former Mariners outfielder is considered to be a future manager by many in the industry. He is personable and easy to get along with. Ibanez has no managerial experience, but that isn’t the death blow it was 20-years ago. Ibanez was asked to interview for the Yankees job 2 years ago, and withdrew his name from consideration to replace Joe Maddon in Tampa in 2014.

If Ibanez is ready to return to the dugout, Seattle should try to get him on the staff regardless of the position. But if the managerial seat is open, Ibanez would be a great fit.

5. Carlos Beltran or Mark Kotsay

Hiring former players without managerial experience are kind of the new norm. The Mariners did it with Servais, the Cardinals with Mike Matheny, and the Twins with Rocco Baldelli. So interviewing Carlos Beltran wouldn’t be that unusual. Heck, the Yankees brought in Beltran to interview for their open position before giving it to Aaron Boone and Beltran is now a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman.

Beltran’s name comes with a lot of respect attached to it and he is well respected by both the old school and new school factions of the game. He is bilingual, which as we discussed with Manny Acta, is a huge plus.

One other name who has experience in both the dugout and the front office is former outfielder Mark Kotsay. After a 17-year career playing for 6 organizations, Kotsay retired from playing but never got far away from the game, signing on as a special assistant with San Diego in 2014.

Kotsay was back in the dugout for the 2015 season, serving as Padres hitting coach for one season, before being hired to be Bob Melvin‘s bench coach in Oakland for 2 seasons. After 2017, the A’s moved Kotsay to the position of quality control coach.

Kotsay is a bright guy and baseball lifer and should have no problem commanding respect in a clubhouse of young players. The fact that he has worked in a progressive front office and has experience as a big-league staff member are also big pluses.

So there you have it. 5 (actually 8) candidates for the Mariners to consider if Scott Servais is moved to a front-office role for 2020. But remember, the odds of Servais being removed this off-season are roughly the same as the Mariners winning their final 6 games of 2019, so take this article as more of a thought exercise than anybody else.