As the Seattle Mariners begin to evaluate things to prepare for 2016, the fate of manager Lloyd McClendon remains up in the air with new general manager Jerry Dipoto.
Continue for updates.
Dipoto Undecided on McClendon
Saturday, Oct. 3
According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, there are conflicting feelings between Dipoto and other executives about what the future holds for McClendon in Seattle:
McClendon, who was hired by the Mariners in Nov. 2013, has had a disappointing run as manager. He led the team to an 87-75 record last season, finishing one game behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot.
Things fell apart in 2015 for the Mariners, who enter the season’s final two days with a record of 75-85, marking the sixth time since 2008 they will finish with a losing record.
ESPN’s Jim Bowden noted that he spoke to Dipoto recently, with the Mariners new GM saying he wanted to take some time to get to know McClendon before making any final decision.
Seattle is in a tenuous position heading into next season, as the team will clear nearly $45 million in payroll from 2015. Dipoto has a lot of decisions to make about the coaching staff and 25-man roster to get the team back in playoff contention.
McClendon’s future will be determined by how well he is able to connect with Dipoto on a baseball level. He’s a veteran manager with seven years of experience under his belt going back to his days in Pittsburgh, but the lack of success in that time does leave him with a lot to prove in the meeting room.
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