Former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais lands new role with NL West club

Former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais has officially found a new home with the San Diego Padres. According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, Servais will now be the special assistant for baseball operations and player development with the Padres. 

Before coming to Seattle, Servais had experience working in various front-office roles with two other American League franchises. For four seasons, he was the assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Angels, where he worked closely with Jerry Dipoto. From 2006 to 2010, Servais was the senior director of player development with the Texas Rangers.

While in Texas, he worked with the current Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller.  Servais was a candidate to manage the Padres before the 2016 season before he ultimately took the Mariners position. 

Mariners' Scott Servais finds new job with Padres after Seattle dismissal

Under Servais’ tenure from 2016 to August 2024, the Mariners went 680-642 in nine seasons. Those 680 wins rank second all-time in franchise history for any manager behind Lou Pinella. 

In 2021, Servais led the Mariners to a 90-win season, the first time the franchise had reached those heights since 2003. One year later, in 2022, the Mariners made their first postseason berth since the incredible 2001 season. The Mariners defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card round before being swept by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros. 

While Servais was a successful manager in Seattle, his 2024 season was his ultimate undoing. The Mariners held a 10-game lead in the AL West and a record of 44-31 in June, but swiftly fell to 64-64 and five games back in the division due to a poor offense. That collapse prompted Jerry Dipoto to relieve Servais of his duties and replace him with fan favorite Dan Wilson. 

A change needed to happen for the Mariners, but Servais’ leadership was paramount to getting the M's back to their status as a competitive ball club in the American League. After being unable to land a managerial job this offseason, Servais lands on his feet with a Padres team looking to build off their 93-69 season under Mike Shildt. 

We don’t know what the future holds for Servais regarding his managerial career, but his successful tenure with the Mariners should get him opportunities with other ball clubs after 2025.