The Seattle Mariners shook things up on Thursday, and a new era may be starting to take shape.
In a surprise move Thursday afternoon, the Mariners fired longtime manager Scott Servais, who had been at the helm since 2016. Servais came over from the Los Angeles Angels alongside his close friend Jerry DiPoto, who ultimately decided to remove Servais as the team's top executive.
In the wake of Servais' departure, former Mariners catcher Dan Wilson, who had been one of Seattle's minor league coordinators, assumed the interim managerial job. The Mariners recently plummeted out of first place, but are still hoping to make a late postseason push.
The move shocked many, given Servais' perceived lack of responsibility for the Mariners' struggles on offense. According to one insider, however, it may be the start of sweeping changes to the coaching staff, including pursuing a franchise legend.
Insider Jon Morosi of MLB Network posted on X late Thursday evening that he expects the Mariners will attempt to hire franchise icon Edgar Martínez, a Hall of Famer and lifelong Mariner, as part of the new coaching regime.
"I’d expect Edgar Martinez will be offered a spot on the Mariners coaching staff, especially given his longstanding connection to Dan Wilson," Morosi said. "Edgar could join the staff as early as this weekend."
Martínez, 61, served as the Mariners' hitting coach once before, from 2015 to 2018, before stepping backward and assuming a special advisor role in the organization. He was teammates with Wilson from 1994 until 2004, when he retired as a player.
A 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, Martínez was one of the best designated hitters in baseball history. He racked up 2,247 hits, 309 home runs, a .933 career OPS, seven All-Star appearances, and five Silver Slugger awards during his Mariners career.
It would certainly be a well-received move in Seattle to reintroduce such a fixture of Mariners history as a full-time member of the coaching staff. But as of now, there is no indication Martínez and the Mariners are close on an agreement.
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