Report: Mariners to retain Dipoto as head of baseball ops

The Seattle Mariners' inconsistent play in 2024 will not cost president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto his job.

Mariners ownership has already decided to retain Dipoto for at least 2025 and possibly longer, sources told Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. General manager Justin Hollander is also slated to return.

Dipoto's job security is not subject to change if the Mariners miss the playoffs, Divish and Jude added.

Seattle's choice to retain Dipoto was apparently made earlier in the summer, before the club's mid-August downturn. After sitting in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West on Aug. 11, the Mariners nearly fell out of contention by going 1-8 on the ensuing road trip. That stretch led Dipoto to fire longtime manager Scott Servais, replacing him with rookie skipper Dan Wilson.

Dipoto was originally hired as the Mariners' GM in September 2015 following his five-year stint running the Los Angeles Angels. Under his watch, the Mariners snapped a 21-year playoff drought and have posted winning records six times. However, Dipoto's Seattle teams have yet to win a division title, and the 2022 run remains the franchise's only postseason appearance over the last 22 seasons.

The 56-year-old previously signed extensions in 2018 and 2021, when he was promoted to his current position as head of baseball operations. The length of his current contract is unknown, and Seattle has not made any announcements about a new extension for Dipoto.

The Mariners own a 7-6 record under Wilson after Thursday's win in Oakland. Still, their road to the playoffs will be difficult thanks to that mid-August swoon. At 71-70 overall, Seattle sits 4.5 games behind first-place Houston in the AL West and five games back of Kansas City for the final AL wild-card spot.