The Mariners are back at square one in their search for a new manager, and one of the early names linked to the job is off the board.
Carlos Mendoza, who had surfaced as a candidate for Seattle’s opening, has pulled out of the race and will instead join the Philadelphia Phillies in a much smaller role. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported, "Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners' managerial job before withdrawing his name to become the Phillies' third base and infield coach, sources told ESPN,".
That means Seattle will keep looking after dismissing Dan Wilson following the 2026 MLB season, a year that went off the rails after the club fell short of the postseason despite coming one win from the World Series the season before. The Mariners also entered the year as buyers at the trade deadline, but the end result was a 76-86 finish in a division won by the Houston Astros at 81-81.
Mendoza would have brought some recent managerial experience to the table. He guided the Mets to the playoffs in 2024 and into the NLCS before being fired in the middle of the season after New York’s rough start. He wasn’t the splashiest option Seattle could have chased, but he looked like a workable fit for a roster that needs someone to steer it in the right direction.
Instead, Mendoza is headed to Philadelphia to handle third-base duties and work with the infield for Don Mattingly’s staff. For the Mariners, the search continues, and the timeline may be tighter than usual with MLB’s looming lockout on December 1 threatening to shorten the offseason.
In Other News...
Phillies May Have Pulled Off Another Pitching Bargain With Jess Luzardo
Jess Luzardos arrival in Philadelphia already looks like the kind of move that can age well for a contender. The Phillies landed him in a trade that sent Emaarion Boyd and Starlyn Caba the other way, then committed even further by extending him on a five-year, $135 million deal that begins in 2027 and includes a sixth-year team option. For a club that has not been shy about investing in pitching, Luzardo fits the profile of a buy-now, pay-later arm with real upside.
The early return has only sharpened that impression. Luzardo was strong in 2026, posting a 2.86 ERA over 179.2 innings and giving the Phillies the kind of stability they value deep into a season. Inside the organization, there is also a sense that their coaching staff helped unlock more of what he could become, which only raises the possibility that Philadelphia may have found another pitching bargain before the market fully caught up. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face A Costly Jhoan Duran Decision Sooner Than Expected
Jhoan Duran has already become the kind of late-inning arm a contender can build around, and for the Phillies that comes with an uncomfortable reality. He has only one year of team control left before reaching free agency after the 2027 season, which means a pitcher who has quickly established himself as the clubs closer may be headed toward a big-money conversation sooner than expected. Around the league, recent deals for elite relievers like Edwin Daz and Josh Hader have reset the market, and Duran is now in the conversation for that same tier of long-term value.
Philadelphia has not announced any extension, but the stakes are clear enough for a front office that has shown a willingness to spend when it believes the fit is right. A record-setting relief contract is at least a possibility if the Phillies decide Duran is worth locking up beyond his current window, though the shape of any future deal could be influenced by the upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. For now, the question is not whether Duran matters to the Phillies, but how expensive it will be to keep him at the back of the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Bullpen Is Taking Shape But One Need Still Looms
The Phillies have already made one major move this offseason by bringing in Don Mattingly on a two-year contract, and now the attention is turning to the relief corps. Team president Dave Dombrowski has said he feels good about several of the pitchers already in place, which gives Philadelphia a useful base as it tries to sort out the late innings and build a bullpen that can hold up over a long season.
Left-handed relief, though, remains the obvious gap. Philadelphia is looking at a range of free-agent options, even as the market carries extra uncertainty because of the possibility of a lockout. For a club trying to sharpen its roster before spring, the bullpen picture is improving, but one key piece still has to be found. [Read more 🡒]