Carlos Mendoza rejecting Mariners for Phillies can't be assumed to be a rebuke

What does it tell us that Carlos Mendoza would rather be a coach for the Philadelphia Phillies than the Seattle Mariners' manager? Is the job undesirable? Cursed? Or, did Mendoza just not deem it right for him?

Courtesy of Jorge Castillo of ESPN, all we know right now is that Mendoza was indeed a candidate to succeed Dan Wilson in Seattle before withdrawing his name and signing on to work under Don Mattingly in Philadelphia. He'll be the third base coach and the infield coach for the Phillies.

As for exactly how interested the Mariners were in Mendoza, that he was a candidate for the job doesn't make him especially unique. The team's initial list of candidates is said to have had 40 names on it, and we know that others include Joe Espada and Rocco Baldelli.

Like Espada and Baldelli, Mendoza checks a big box for the Mariners in that he has previous experience as a major league skipper with the New York Mets between 2024 and 2026. There was the high of the team's NLCS run in 2024. Then there were the lows of losing seasons in 2025 and 2026, the latter of which got him fired after 81 games.

The thinking within the industry seems to be that the Mets' recent futility was more due to faulty rosters than Mendoza's managing. He should get another chance to manage, and it's possible that's what he sees in Philadelphia. Mattingly was only re-hired on a two-year deal, so Mendoza might stand to be next in line for the job. It's not just any job, as the Phillies are a big-market team with a recent history of winning and big spending.

Mendoza has also spent the last decade of his life in baseball on the East Coast, as he was a coach for the Yankees before he hopped to the Mets and now the Phillies. All three teams hold spring training in Florida, whereas the Mariners are an Arizona club.

Ultimately, Mendoza's rejection of the Mariners should not necessarily be mistaken for a rebuke. It's possible that he didn't want to play what are long odds for anyone to get the job. It's equally possible that he simply didn't want to move himself and his family across the country.

Carlos Mendoza's rejection doesn't change the fundamental appeal of the Mariners' managing job

If there is a damning explanation for Mendoza's rejection, one would bet on it having something to do with the Mariners' reputation for cheapness. Their manager salaries have reportedly fallen in the $1 million range, whereas Mendoza averaged $1.5 million per year with the Mets. Other managers around MLB make upwards of $5 million per year.

Yet given how seriously Jerry Dipoto is taking his search for a new manager, there should be real hope that the Mariners won't skimp on an offer for the right guy. Beyond that, there should be no doubt that as manager jobs go, this one is pretty attractive.

The Mariners definitely have things to figure out after a 76-86 season, including how to account for the likely loss of Randy Arozarena to free agency. Yet the goods for a loud offseason are there, and the incumbent roster deserves a large measure of confidence.

Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez are going nowhere, and the Mariners figure to bring back at least five members of a starting rotation that is currently six deep. There's also a next generation of stars standing by, consisting of Kade Anderson, Lazaro Montes, Michael Arroyo and Ryan Sloan.

Given all this and how the rest of the AL West is in a tough spot, the chance to manage the Mariners is absolutely a chance to manage a contender. And lest anyone forget, the first manager to get this team to the World Series is going to be a hero in Seattle until the end of time.

If Mendoza didn't want the job, that's truly his prerogative. Yet his rejection alone shouldn't be taken to mean it's not a job worth wanting.

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