The Mariners’ managerial search is starting to take shape, with the team set to conduct in-person interviews with former Houston Astros manager Joe Espada and Chicago Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler.
That search sits alongside a little internal reflection, too, as members of the Lookout Landing staff weigh in on the top qualities they want to see in Seattle’s next manager.
Elsewhere in baseball, former Mariner Daniel Vogelbach is making his presence felt in Milwaukee, where he serves as the Brewers’ hitting coach. He has helped bring a distinct energy and approach to the club’s powerful offense.
The Brewers backed that up on the field last night with a 10-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, seizing a 3-0 World Series lead. Milwaukee broke the game open with an eight-run fifth inning. Robert Gasser did his part on the mound, giving up only one hit across six scoreless innings, while Jackson Chourio piled up four hits by the end of the fifth.
Aaron Ashby has also been a force for Milwaukee out of the bullpen, with a mechanical adjustment helping him reach another level.
Around the league, MLB has been testing restricted outfield shifts in the Arizona Fall League in an effort to boost offense. This year’s World Series also features the shortest average roster height in at least the past 40 years, a detail summed up with “#justiceforshortkings.”
And for the Phillies, there’s a warning sign in their recent contract history as they consider signing an aging corner outfielder this offseason.
his off-field community involvement with the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.
In Other News...
Mariners Manager Search Is Raising An Uncomfortable Question
The Mariners managerial search has already taken on a familiar edge of uncertainty, and Stephen Vogts name only sharpened it. Cleveland was willing to let him explore the Seattle opening, but Vogt never moved past the fringes of the process, while the Mariners continued sorting through a period defined by organizational questions and a need for stability.
Vogts decision to publicly commit to the Guardians only underscored the contrast between the two situations. In Cleveland, he has a steady landing spot and a team that knows where it stands, while Seattle is still trying to make its next move without much clarity about how aggressively it pursued one of the more intriguing candidates on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Raleighs Slide Created A Mariners Question Fans Cant Ignore
Cal Raleigh entered 2025 with the kind of reputation that makes him one of the most valuable catchers in the game, backed by the Platinum Glove he won the year before and the steady two-way value Seattle has leaned on. But the season has brought a different conversation around him, one centered less on his power and presence in the middle of the lineup and more on how much his all-around game has slipped from that elite standard.
The offensive dip is only part of the concern for the Mariners, because Raleighs defense has also taken a noticeable step back and theres no easy explanation attached to it. Injuries may have played a role, but the bigger question for Seattle is whether this is a temporary downturn or the start of a longer decline from a catcher who had looked like one of the safest anchors on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Sent An Early Offseason Signal With Three Roster Calls
The first offseason moves from Seattle were more revealing than dramatic, and they offered a quick glimpse at how the front office is sorting out its next roster. Andrs Muoz will remain a late-inning fixture after the club exercised his option for 2027, while the Mariners moved on from options tied to Bryce Miller and Victor Robles as they began trimming down the roster picture.
Muozs return keeps one of the teams most important arms in place, but the decisions around Miller and Robles underline how much remains unsettled as Seattle heads deeper into the winter. Miller still stays under club control, while Robles now enters free agency, and the Mariners 40-man roster has already been cut to 34 players as the organization keeps reshaping the group around its core. [Read more 🡒]