Dan Wilson Will Not Return as Mariners Manager Following Disappointing Season

Dan Wilson told Mariners players and staff before Sunday’s season finale that he will not return as manager in 2027, though the club has not formally announced the change. Seattle finished 75-86 and missed the playoffs after winning the division in 2025; injuries and player regression contributed to the downturn. Players and club personnel cited a lack of accountability, while reports described a growing disconnect between Wilson and the front office and a team that often appeared passive and unprepared. Coaching-staff turnover is expected, but pitching strategy director Trent Blank and pitching coach Pete Woodworth are reportedly set to return. Baseball operations president Jerry Dipoto is expected to remain in his role, while Wilson’s legacy as a celebrated Mariners player and manager of the 2025 division champions remains intact.
Jerry Dipoto made Wilson the permanent manager in August 2024 even though Wilson had never managed at any level.
Although Dipoto is expected to return, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the Mariners' president of baseball operations was under heavy scrutiny after the disappointing season.
Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez, Josh Naylor, Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo publicly said that players bore some of the blame for the 2026 results; all except Gilbert had regressed that season.
Wilson acknowledged after Seattle was eliminated that the team had spent the season hoping it would eventually find its stride, while one account noted that his more aggressive bullpen management surfaced only after the Mariners had fallen to 66-74.
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