The struggling Seattle Mariners, who have lost eight of their last nine games primarily due to a sluggish offense, fired manager Scott Servais on Thursday, according to multiple reports and a source confirming to ESPN.
Servais briefly addressed the players after Wednesday’s loss that completed a sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers, urging them to use the upcoming day off to regroup and focus on the remainder of the season.
During the three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium, the Mariners were outscored 17-7, missing the chance to close the gap on the first-place Houston Astros in the American League West. Back on June 18, Seattle held a 10-game lead in the division, but a 20-33 record since then has left them five games behind Houston, with their record falling to .500 for the first time since April 24.
Despite having a strong rotation featuring Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, and Bryce Miller, which leads the majors with a 3.53 ERA, the Mariners’ offense has struggled, producing a .666 OPS, worse than all but the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
Servais, 57, joined the Mariners from the Los Angeles Angels along with current president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander after the 2015 season, taking over a veteran team in transition. Three consecutive years without making the playoffs led to a rebuild, which brought rising stars like Julio Rodriguez, key catcher Cal Raleigh, and most of their current rotation.
The Mariners ended a 21-year playoff drought with a 90-win season in 2022 but missed the postseason in 2023 after a disappointing September. Concerned about potential revenue losses due to uncertainty over their regional sports network, Mariners ownership decided against increasing payroll in the following offseason, leading the front office to attempt to improve the offense with low-cost additions that didn’t work out.
Newcomers Mitch Garver (.614 OPS), Mitch Haniger (.643), and Jorge Polanco (.672) all struggled; J.P. Crawford couldn’t maintain his offensive surge from 2023; and Rodriguez didn’t play at his expected superstar level.
The Mariners’ front office tried to spark the lineup by acquiring Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner before the July 30 trade deadline, leading to a brief stretch where the team won six of nine games in early August. However, a subsequent nine-game skid ultimately led to Servais’ dismissal.
The Athletic was the first to report that Servais would be fired.
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