Seattle Mariners Manager Search: ESPN's Buster Olney Discusses Team's Process

ESPN's Buster Olney speaks on the "Refuse to Lose Territory" podcast. Subscribe on YouTube!As the calendar officially turns to November, the Seattle Mariners are still officially without a manager. However, the more than a month-long search should be coming to an end relatively quickly, with either Joe Espada or Jason Kanzler expected to be hired in the coming days.Espada spent the last three years as the manager of the Houston Astros, winning two American League West titles. Kanzer previously served as an Astros hitting coach and is the current farm director of the Chicago Cubs.While Espada or Kanzler may very well be excellent candidates, there's no denying that many fans feel the process of hiring the new skipper has been underwhelming.I talked about that feeling, and why maybe it's unfounded, on Friday's edition of the "Refuse to Lose Territory" podcast. And then later on Friday, I asked ESPN's Buster Olney for his assessment on the M's process at large. Again, since we don't know who the manager is, this is less about the overall outcome, but just the overall process:"So I think that, yeah, I've seen the names that are attached to the Mariners during this process, and I know that it's bigger than what's been reported. I know that they've had contact with a lot more people. They seem to be going through names and having conversations and getting some feedback.But I think that my read on it is they want to make sure that they're in lockstep. What's most important for the Mariners is that they're in lockstep with the person that they wind up hiring.Now, I will say, while I think that the process might feel underwhelming for different reasons, I think the first and foremost reason is that they're not necessarily, like, these crazy star candidates right now. It's not like when you talk to teams, like, "Oh, my God, that Brady Farkas guy with that team. People can't wait to hire that guy."You know, there are some years when you hear that at this point, we don't.Joe Espada, I've said all along I think the Mariners should get someone who's experienced. I don't think they can afford to have another manager who's not experienced.But I do, from everything I hear, it feels like what's most important is that the Mariners front office is comfortable with the idea that they are in lockstep, have symbiosis with whoever they hire."Jerry Dipoto looks on before game one of the ALDS round between the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Joe Nicholson-Imagn ImagesThat seems to make sense. Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander want to hire someone that they feel they can work well with and someone that shares the same vision of the front office. Some fans will undoubtedly take that as a sign that the front office wants to control the manager, but the reality is this: Bosses like to hire people who have similar beliefs and similar focuses.Now, it will be up to Espada or Kanzler, presumably, to execute the vision and get the Mariners back to contention after a really down season that saw them go 76-86 and miss the playoffs.The Mariners also were interested in former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, but he pulled out of the search for family reasons.