The Seattle Mariners’ managerial search has turned toward a familiar name in the dugout world: Rocco Baldelli.
Baldelli, who is now working as a special assistant in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office, is one of the candidates the Mariners have interest in for their vacant manager job, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Seattle has already spoken with former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada, and the team also had interest in former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza before he was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies as their new third base coach under Don Mattingly.
The Mariners were granted permission by Houston to talk with Espada about the position before he was officially dismissed by the Astros.
Seattle is looking for a new manager after parting ways with Dan Wilson. Wilson took over in 2024 and guided the Mariners to 90 wins in his first full season in 2025. But the club fell short this year, and Wilson announced on the final day of the regular season that he was not returning in 2027.
Baldelli’s path back into the mix comes after a change of scenery in December 2025, when he joined the Dodgers organization soon after being fired as manager of the Minnesota Twins. He said at the time that he still wanted another shot at managing. Before landing in Los Angeles, Baldelli had been connected to the Los Angeles Angels’ and Washington Nationals’ openings before those clubs hired Kurt Suzuki and Blake Butera, respectively.
His role with the Dodgers also marked a reunion with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. Baldelli’s playing career overlapped with Friedman’s time as Rays general manager, and after his retirement Baldelli joined the Tampa Bay front office as a special assistant to work with Friedman. He stayed with the Rays as a coach for four seasons after Friedman left for the Dodgers.
Baldelli’s own managing resume is built on his seven seasons with Minnesota, where he went 527-505 after being hired for his first major-league managerial job in 2019. The high point came right away: he was named American League Manager of the Year in 2019, the same season the Twins won 101 games, their second-most in a single season in franchise history. During his tenure, Minnesota also captured three AL Central titles.
In Other News...
Dodgers Fans Will Have Strong Feelings About This Massive Trade Idea
Jim Bowdens latest trade proposal is the kind of idea that gets Dodgers fans talking for all the right and wrong reasons. In his scenario, Los Angeles would send prized prospect Josue De Paula and additional pieces to Washington in exchange for outfielder James Wood and shortstop CJ Abrams, a swap built around two young Nationals stars who both earned All-Star nods last season and still come with multiple years of team control.
It is easy to see why the concept has some appeal on paper, especially with Los Angeles always looking for ways to strengthen a roster already built to contend. But it also feels like the sort of package the Dodgers would be reluctant to part with, and the articles larger point is hard to miss: even if the Nationals would be getting a significant return, this is the kind of blockbuster idea that seems more useful as debate material than as a realistic path for either side. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Will Have Mixed Feelings About This World Series
Even with the World Series now featuring teams far from Chavez Ravine, there is still a familiar Dodgers thread running through it. Jonny DeLuca is with the Rays, Dustin May is on the Brewers, and former Dodgers such as Ryan Pepiot, Gavin Lux and Michael Grove are part of the wider picture too, which means this matchup carries a little extra intrigue for fans who have watched so many of those names come through Los Angeles.
For Dodgers supporters, it is the kind of postseason that can prompt a split reaction. There is obvious pride in seeing former players in the Fall Classic and the possibility that some of them could end up with championship rings, but there is also the strange reality of tracking ex-Dodgers on clubs that stand between Los Angeles and another title run. Mays season with Milwaukee has been uneven across the regular season and into October, adding another layer to a World Series that already feels unusually tied to the Dodgers recent past. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Near A Telling Bullpen Decision On Jake Cousins
Jake Cousins has put the Dodgers in a familiar late-November sort of bind, the kind that forces a decision on a player before the winter really gets rolling. Claimed after the Yankees non-tendered him, Cousins is entering his second year of arbitration, and the Dodgers now have to weigh whether a bullpen arm with major-league pedigree is worth carrying on the 40-man roster after a long absence from the big leagues following Tommy John surgery in 2025.
The practical issue is bigger than just one salary line. Cousins has only six Triple-A appearances this year and the results have been limited, yet he still takes up a roster spot at a time when every place matters ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. For a club that has to balance upside, health and roster flexibility all at once, his status looks like one of those decisions that can shape several other moves before the offseason settles in. [Read more 🡒]