Former Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has withdrawn his name from the Seattle Mariners’ managerial search, citing family considerations over the weekend. His exit leaves former Astros manager Joe Espada and Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler as the primary known candidates as Seattle targets a hire by the end of October.
Rocco Baldelli Withdraws Due to Family Considerations
The search for a new skipper took a sharp turn when Rocco Baldelli pulled out of contention. Sources confirmed to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that the former manager stepped away from the running over the weekend.
Rocco Baldelli has withdrawn from the Mariners’ managerial search, citing family considerations at this moment in time, sources tell The Athletic.
Baldelli and his wife have three young children and deep roots in Florida, and the thought is Seattle is simply too far from home for them.
Adam Jude, The Seattle Times, via MLB.com
Baldelli spent the past year as a special assistant in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office after a seven-year run leading the Minnesota Twins. During his tenure in Minnesota, where he managed the Twins from 2019-25 following the departure of Paul Molitor, he compiled a 527-505 record, captured three American League Central titles, and earned the AL Manager of the Year Award in 2019 after his team won 101 games and set an MLB record with 307 home runs. Minnesota secured their first postseason series win in 21 years by sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 in the 2023 Wild Card Series before falling to the Houston Astros in the ALDS. After missing the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, during which the front office slashed payroll and executed a trade-deadline fire sale, the Twins fired him and replaced him with Derek Shelton.
His established dugout experience made him an early frontrunner to succeed Dan Wilson, who parted ways with the franchise after a 76-86 campaign in 2026. A year earlier, Seattle reached Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays, nearly advancing to the World Series before a go-ahead, late-inning home run by George Springer gave the Blue Jays the win. Prior to 2026, the Mariners had won at least 85 games every year since 2021.
Rocco Baldelli reportedly won’t be the Mariners’ next manager. The Dodgers front office assistant has withdrawn from Seattle’s managerial search, but his desire to manage again could make him a name to watch for more openings. #Dodgers READ: https://t.co/dvzyByzBOP
Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler Remain in the Hunt at T-Mobile Park
With Baldelli out of the picture, Joe Espada and Jason Kanzler stand as the remaining known candidates meeting with club brass at T-Mobile Park. The organization began holding in-person interviews this week, bringing candidates through a rigorous multi-tier schedule involving ownership, front office executives, and returning coaching staff members who were retained for 2027.
Espada brings three years of managerial experience from the Houston Astros, where he also served as bench coach for six seasons following a stint on Dusty Baker’s coaching staff during Houston’s run to a 2022 World Series title. Kanzler offers a starkly different profile.
| Candidate | Current or Recent Role | Managerial Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Espada | Former Manager, Houston Astros | 3 years in MLB |
| Jason Kanzler | Director of Player Development, Chicago Cubs | None at MLB level |
| Rocco Baldelli | Special Assistant, Los Angeles Dodgers (Withdrawn) | 7 years with Twins |
Jerry Dipoto Faces Urgent Timeline Before End of October
Dipoto has stated that prior managing experience at the Major League level is not a prerequisite, though it would be preferred, noting that each of his first two hires—Scott Servais and Dan Wilson—were more unorthodox and had no prior managing experience.
The search itself began from an initial list of 30 to 40 candidates that were contacted for video calls before narrowing the field down to 10 to 12 candidates and eventually 4 to 5 finalists. Other figures initially linked to the opening, including Chicago White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven and former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, are no longer under consideration.
Dipoto acknowledged that the club’s on-field regression in 2026 triggered a thorough internal evaluation. Whether the front office pivots to Espada’s veteran presence or takes an outside-of-the-box gamble on Kanzler’s development background remains to be seen as the interview process concludes.
Players won't have a seat at the table during the Mariners' managerial search. But their voices are being heard.A few core leaders shared what some of those conversations sounded like."We're grown men here, and we're trying to get to the same goal."https://t.co/egxktfUZYL
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The Mariners continue to stay under the radar with their managerial search but they're making progress and are hoping to finish the process by the end of the month. They're hoping to get to their finalists but mid/late next week according to sources familiar with their process
One name has reportedly withdrawn from consideration to be the next #Mariners manager.https://t.co/N0o8GMZutR
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