Rocco Baldelli Withdraws Name From Mariners’ Managerial Search

Rocco Baldelli was a candidate to be the Mariners’ next manager, but the former Twins skipper has removed himself from the search due to “family considerations,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.  The news leaves former Astros manager Joe Espada and Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler as the only two known candidates remaining for the job, though other unknown names are reportedly in the mix.

The Mariners are apparently “in an advanced stage” in the hiring process, as Rosenthal, Chandler Rome, and Patrick Mooney put it earlier this week.  If Baldelli was Seattle’s preferred choice, this could delay things if the team has to pivot to a second choice.  Ex-manager Dan Wilson announced prior to the Mariners’ final game that wouldn’t be returning in 2027, so the team’s search for a new skipper has been officially ongoing for almost a full month.  (Since the Mariners’ disappointing season made it increasingly likely that Wilson was on the way out, upper management was probably starting to start forming plans well in advance of Wilson’s announcement.)

President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto hinted that hiring an experienced manager would be his preference this time around, rather than a first-time MLB skipper like previous hires Wilson or Scott Servais.  Beyond Baldelli and Espada, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was reportedly on the Mariners’ radar before Arizona signed Lovullo to a new contract, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (who is under contract in Cleveland) made a point of publicly stating that he is staying put.

If experience is still a priority for Dipoto, this would seemingly give Espada the edge over Kanzler.  This is purely speculative on my part, but the M’s could be considering hiring both, with Espada as the manager and Kanzler as the bench coach or some other type coaching role.  Before his current position with the Cubs, Kanzler spent five seasons in Houston’s organization, with the last two of those seasons working with Espada on the Astros’ coaching staff.  Then again, given how Seattle has managed to keep this managerial hunt relatively under wraps, any number of mystery candidates could be higher on the team’s wish list.

Baldelli led the Twins to three AL Central titles and a 527-505 record over seven seasons as the team’s manager, with one playoff series win (a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays in the 2023 Wild Card Series).  Following that success in 2023, a September collapse cost the Twins another playoff appearance in 2024, and the team then sunk to a 70-92 record in 2025.  The front office engaged in a wide-ranging fire sale at that year’s trade deadline, and Baldelli was let go at season’s end.

In the aftermath of the firing, Baldelli said he was hoping to manage again and didn’t close the door on immediately jumping back into the dugout with a new team in 2026.  However, he noted that “I owe my family a little time,” which may have been why he opted for a front office assistant role with the Dodgers.  The Nationals and Angels reportedly gave Baldelli for their managerial vacancies last offseason, but it isn’t clear if Baldelli actually interviewed with either club.