Seattle Mariners Make Big Move Amidst 2nd Half Swoon

The Seattle Mariners were in first place in the AL West by 7.0 games exactly two months ago, and were up by as much as 10.0 games. In the past 60 days, they are 10 games under .500, have dropped to 64-64 and have lost as much as 15 games in the standings, now trailing the Houston Astros by 5.0 games, and the last Wild Card spot by 7.5 games.

It might be too late, but in a desperate bid to turn things around, the Mariners have today fired manager Scott Servais.

Scott Servais is out as Mariners manager @Ken_Rosenthal on it 1st
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 22, 2024

Former longtime Mariners catcher Dan Wilson has been named the new manager.

The 59-year-old Servais was in his ninth season as the Mariners’ dugout boss. He compiled a 680-642 record for a .514 winning percentage over that time, with one postseason appearance (2022). They did win the Wild Card Series that year after a legendary collapse by the Toronto Blue Jays, but then lost in the ALDS.

Wilson was behind the plate for the Mariners from 1994 to 2005, during the team's glory years, much of that time catching Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. With an offense that ranks near the bottom of the majors in nearly every category this season, it could be a near-impossible task to get this team to recover in time to make a playoff push in 2024. And that's despite a pitching staff that is one of the league's best.