The Seattle Mariners are looking for a manager, and the first name they have formally pursued is the one currently running the team that just beat them out for the division.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported Tuesday that Houston granted Seattle permission to interview Astros manager Joe Espada, and that the two sides will meet. Neither club has confirmed it publicly.
Why Houston Had to Say Yes
Espada is in the final year of his contract, which is why permission was required at all rather than simply refused. Houston has made no decision on bringing him back for 2027.
His record over three seasons is 256-229, a .528 winning percentage. He went 88-73 and won the AL West in 2024, 87-75 and finished second in 2025, then 81-81 in 2026 and won the division again by one game over Texas at 80-82. That makes Houston the only .500 division winner in baseball this year.
The season ended badly. The White Sox, who went 84-78, swept the Astros 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series, closing it out 7-3 on September 30.
Houston also has no general manager. Dana Brown was let go on August 24, with owner Jim Crane taking over baseball operations and duties split among assistant GMs Charles Cook, Gavin Dickey and Connor Huff plus senior advisor Jeff Bagwell.
In other words, the Astros are not in a strong position to tell anyone no.
How Seattle Got Here
Dan Wilson was told on the morning of September 27, before Game 162, that he would not return. He informed players and staff himself in a pregame meeting, then read a prepared statement after the game. “It’s concluded that today is my last day as manager of the Seattle Mariners,” he said, which is an unusual thing for a manager to have to announce about himself.
Wilson went 21-13 after being hired in August 2024 to replace Scott Servais, 90-72 with an AL West title and an ALCS appearance in 2025, then 76-86 in 2026. His career mark is 187-171.
Seattle finished third in the division, scored 664 runs and allowed 722, and drew 2,883,798 at home, third in the American League.
Dipoto Was Explicit
Jerry Dipoto said at his September 28 press conference that the next manager would come from outside the organization. “We will go outside to hire our manager,” he said. “We need fresh thought. We need something new.”
He went further: “this year’s failure requires that we look outside to find someone who might be able to poke holes in what we’re doing.”
Dipoto described a search starting with 15 to 20 names that could grow to 30 or 40, narrowing to 10 or 12 and then four or five in-person finalists. No search firm. No timeline. Prior managing experience preferred but not required. He says he has full autonomy.
The Other Names
Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed Rocco Baldelli, now a Dodgers special assistant and formerly the Twins manager, along with former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and ESPN analyst David Ross.
Several candidates are off the board. Torey Lovullo re-signed with Arizona on a two-year deal October 1. Stephen Vogt is under contract with Cleveland through 2027, meaning only a trade would free him. Alex Cora has told clubs he will not manage in 2027.
The Awkward Part
Seattle’s last outside search produced Servais in October 2015, chosen over finalists including Dave Roberts. Dipoto is now running that playbook again, with an added wrinkle: hiring Espada means taking the manager of the team that just won your division.
Espada said on October 1 that he wants a fourth season in Houston, that he “would like to continue enjoying those moments.” Houston has not told him he will get one. Seattle is offering to.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.