Jerry Dipoto continues to put his stamp on the Seattle Mariners organization, as the new general manager is reportedly set to hire Scott Servais to succeed Lloyd McClendon as manager.
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times was the first to report Dipoto’s decision to bring in the longtime catcher, who played 11 years in the majors with the Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Colorado Rockies. Joel Sherman of the New York Post confirmed the report.
The 48-year-old Servais has no managerial experience, but he served as Dipoto’s assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels from 2011 until Dipoto departed during the 2015 regular season. Servais previously was the senior director of player development for the Texas Rangers.
Dipoto and Servais were teammates with the Rockies in 2000.
Dipoto resigned from his post as Angels GM due in part to a reported power struggle with manager Mike Scioscia, per DiGiovanna. As Dipoto’s right-hand man, most expected Servais to leave the organization this offseason as well, per DiGiovanna.
The M’s hired Dipoto as their general manager in September after firing longtime GM Jack Zduriencik in August.
It didn’t take long for Dipoto to make an impact, as he fired McClendon shortly after accepting his spot in Seattle’s front office.
Former major league infielder Tim Bogar, who also served as an assistant to Dipoto with the Angels, immediately surfaced as the top managerial candidate for the Mariners, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
While Dipoto ultimately decided to hire Servais for the head position, Bogar will still be on Seattle’s staff as the bench coach, per DiGiovanna.
The hiring of Servais as manager may raise some eyebrows due to his recent front-office role, but it certainly isn’t surprising Dipoto chose someone he is on the same page with after what happened with Scioscia.
Seattle hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001, and it was in desperate need of a shakeup. Dipoto has undoubtedly provided that by making a bold move at manager.
The Mariners certainly have the talent to compete for a playoff spot in 2016 and beyond due to the likes of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Felix Hernandez, but it is now up to Servais to make the pieces fit together.
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