It seemed like a foregone conclusion that McClendon would be leaving right after Zduriencik, but the team hasn’t cut him loose just yet. “McClendon is said to have an excellent relationship with the Mariners’ big stars so it’s a bit tricky”.
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Seattle has a talented team, headlined by starting pitcher Felix Hernandez, second baseman Robinson Cano and outfielder Nelson Cruz, but McClendon wasn’t quite able to put all of the pieces together.
The Mariners have not made the playoffs in McClendon’s two years at the helm.
Dipoto said he planned to use October to reshape his staff, and he has moved quickly to do so. “Jerry has scouted, spent time in player development and has a track record as a very successful general manager”.
Lloyd McClendon is not expected to return as manager of the Seattle Mariners next season, a source told ESPN’s Jim Bowden.
McClendon, 56, has only one winning season in seven years as a big-league manager, including his five years in Pittsburgh from 2001-05. As many expected, that wasn’t McClendon.
There is also a new primary candidate for who might take over the job as the Mariners’ manager. Bogar served as interim manager of the Rangers at the end of the 2014 season, going 14-8, and previously was a coach for the Red Sox and Rays. Joe McEwing, Alex Cora and his brother Joey Cora are among other possibilities. Bogar is considered a “new school” guy that is solid and tough.
Both Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and Jon Heyman of CBS Sports are reporting the Mariners’ decision.
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“McClendon is under contract for 2016, but Dipoto was given the autonomy by team president Kevin Mather and CEO Howard Lincoln to determine whether to keep McClendon or move on with a his own manager to begin his regime”, writes Divish.
