Mariners Narrow Manager Search to Espada and Kanzler

The Seattle Mariners are at the finish line of their managerial search, with two finalists remaining after final-round interviews. Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler have both completed the final stage of the process, meeting with baseball, ownership and business staff, and a decision is expected soon, possibly as early as Thursday or over the weekend. The hire will replace Dan Wilson, and Seattle are aiming to have their next manager in place before the November 10-12 general managers' meetings in Las Vegas. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander will make the final call, and the club tentatively plans to introduce their choice at a news conference early next week. Espada is the familiar name in the race, having managed Houston before his departure from the Astros, while Kanzler offers a different profile as the other finalist to reach the final round. Rocco Baldelli had been expected to interview but withdrew for family reasons, and while Seattle could still reopen the search or wait to speak with other candidates, those options are considered unlikely. Barring an unexpected change, the Mariners' next manager will be Espada or Kanzler, ending a search that has moved quickly since the season ended and giving the new man a full offseason to shape his staff and plans for 2027.