SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners reportedly fired manager Scott Servais on Thursday with the team in the midst a two-month long collapse having blown a 10-game lead in the division and tumbling to the fringes of playoff contention in the American League.
The Athletic reported the decision by the Mariners, citing unnamed sources. The report said former catcher Dan Wilson would be taking over.
The decision to move on from Servais during his ninth season in charge came on the heels of a disastrous 1-8 road trip that dropped the Mariners back to 64-64 after sitting 13 games over .500 at one point in mid-June.
The Mariners trail Houston by five games in the AL West and are 7 1/2 back in the wild-card standings. But nothing in the way Seattle has played since leading the division by 10 games on June 18 has provided optimism there will be a turnaround over the final five weeks of the regular season.
Servais arrived in Seattle before the 2016 season, brought on in lockstep with executive vice president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. Servais was 680-642 during his time with Seattle, going through a significant rebuild midway through his tenure that ultimately made the Mariners competitive but not good enough.
The Seattle Mariners made a shocking decision to dismiss manager Scott Servais following a decline in their standings this season. Servais, who has been with the team since 2016, led the Mariners to a 90-72 record last year, narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. However, this season has been a different story as the team has struggled to find consistency and has fallen well below expectations.
The Mariners currently sit at the bottom of the American League West division with a record of 58-82, a far cry from where they were just a year ago. The team’s struggles can be attributed to a variety of factors, including injuries to key players, underperformance from certain individuals, and a lack of depth in certain areas.
Despite these challenges, many fans and analysts were surprised by the decision to let Servais go. He was widely regarded as a respected and well-liked manager who had the support of his players. However, the front office felt that a change was necessary in order to shake things up and try to turn the team’s fortunes around.
In a statement released by the Mariners, general manager Jerry Dipoto explained the decision, saying, “We appreciate everything Scott has done for this organization over the past four years, but we felt it was time for a new voice in the clubhouse. We believe that a fresh perspective is needed to help us get back on track and compete at a higher level.”
The search for a new manager is already underway, with several candidates being considered for the position. In the meantime, bench coach Manny Acta will serve as the interim manager for the remainder of the season.
It remains to be seen how this change will impact the Mariners moving forward, but one thing is certain: the team is in need of a turnaround if they hope to compete in the highly competitive American League. Only time will tell if this decision to dismiss Servais was the right move or if it will further contribute to the team’s struggles.