Former Mariners manager is being eyed for a 2nd chance by a pair of AL rivals

Mention the name of Scott Servais and it's up in the air what kind of response you'll get from fans and media alike in the Seattle area. We're reluctant to actually label him polarizing, but the reality is there are at least elements of this when it comes to opinions of the former Mariners manager.

Servais has the second-most wins by a manager in Mariners history with 680 and the third-best winning percentage at .514. At the same time he never won a division title and only made the playoffs once between the beginning of the 2016 season and when he was fired in August last year.

Away from the statistical side of things, the 58-year-old was the ideal person for a predominantly young team, serving as both the main voice and being able to handle the bulk of any criticism. At the same time he was often perceived as too serious and for thinking he knew better than anyone else, to the extent that at times it lead to an uncomfortable vibe around the ballpark both in and out of the clubhouse.

Overall Scott Sevais did more good than bad with the Mariners

For every person who believed Servais was fiercely loyal to his players, there were those who claimed he was effectively carrying out the orders of Jerry Dipoto and company as opposed to trusting those same players more. We could go on, but what shouldn't be denied is that he manned the ship as the public figurehead through the Mariners' long-than-expected rebuild and deserves credit for it.

Further, whether someone likes Servais or not, you'd like to think most people wouldn't be against him having another opportunity to manager in the majors. At least you hope this is the overriding sentiment given the most recent reporting regarding him, courtesy of Jon Heyman from the New York Post:

Interestingly, it was only last week that SoDo Mojo's Andy Johnson wrote about how Servais could potentially be a candidate for the Pardres' managerial position following the retirement of Mike Shildt. This made some sense given his previous experience, combined with his current role as a special assistant in San Diego.

The thought of Servais being in the opposing dugout as manager for the annual Vedder Cup series between the Mariners and Padres is an enticing one. Although it might not eventually be the case that he ends up in the role (at least at this stage), Heyman's post does still indicate there being demand for the former catcher in some capacity.

Is revenge even remotely on Scott Servais' radar?

We do know Servais previously indicated a desire to get back into managing when the time and circumstances were right, with him first wanting to take a break and recalibrate. This made sense given how his time in Seattle ended, with him finding out he was fired via a breaking news alert by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic on X and the feeling that he was being made a scapegoat of sorts for the organization's failings.

Servais has always maintained the high moral ground since then and does come across as a man of integrity, which only furthers the case for him being afforded another opportunity to manage in the Majors. However, as much as he has always spoke highly of the Mariners, he wouldn't be human if there wasn't some motivation to take on a position in the AL specifically and face his former team for a couple of series each year and, dare we say, in the playoffs.