Seattle Mariners: Scott Servais has to prove it in 2021 or move on
After running the Seattle Mariners for five seasons, manager Scott Servais has to show he can lead the M’s to success in 2020 or be replaced.
Unless there is a drastic improvement in 2022, this will be the last season of Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais’ tenure. There are plenty of ripple effects that should lead to his ouster, either during the season or at its end. There is only one path that should allow him to keep his job.
The early years
Servais had a history of being irrelevant on the teams he played on. He was a member of the 1988 Olympic team, but only as a back-up to Doug Robbins. As a pro, his only postseason appearance as a player came in 1998 with the Chicago Cubs, and they lost in the wild card round.
While Servais played 11 MLB seasons on six different teams, he rarely had the opportunity to be on a ballclub that won with any regularity. The only synchronous thing between the Mariners and Servais is their affinity for mediocrity. The Mariners need to abandon this mindset.
Since getting the Seattle Mariners job, Scott Servais has never been a frontrunner. Further, he has been marred by second-guessing errors. The Mariners are now in a situation where they need a frontrunner. Their leader should move the team’s focus from simply competing to achieving success.
Who you know
It is not a secret that Jerry Dipoto and Servais have a kinship. That’s why Servais is the Seattle Mariners skipper. In 2000, Servais confided in his teammate that he wanted to be a Major League Baseball manager one day. When Dipoto had the opportunity to fulfill that wish, he did with the Seattle Mariners.
One of Dipoto’s first orders of business was to dump Lloyd McClendon, who had just completed his second season as manager.