Manager Dan Wilson will not return to the Seattle Mariners after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Wilson was not fired, however. He informed the team he would not return in 2027, reports the Seattle Times. The team has not made an official announcement about Wilson or the rest of the coaching staff.
“This was, you know, I’ve been in baseball a while, and this is what happens,” Wilson said following Sunday’s game. “Managers shoulder the blame and shoulder the responsibility. And this is obviously difficult, and my family and I are still processing it.”
The Mariners finished the season with a 76-86 record. They were eliminated from postseason contention last week. Seattle went to Game 7 of the ALCS last year and was five outs away from the franchise’s first-ever pennant, and they came into this season as a trendy World Series pick and perhaps the American League favorites.
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Instead, an inconsistent offense and atrocious defense cost the Mariners almost nightly. Wilson can’t swing the bat or throw the ball for his players, but he did not stand out for his on-field moves, and when a team has a season this disappointing, rarely does the manager return the next season. Someone has to take the blame.
Wilson, 57, went 187-171 in two and a half seasons as Seattle’s skipper. He replaced Scott Servais in August 2024 and was not an interim manager. Wilson was given the full-time job immediately. Prior to his managerial career, Wilson caught 14 seasons in the big leagues, including 12 with the Mariners.
It’s unclear whether president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto will return in 2027. The Mariners have reached the postseason only twice in his 11 years at the helm.
