Seattle Mariners: Scott Servais has to prove it in 2021 or move on
Underachievement
Servais took over a Mariners team that was built to win and managed only 86 victories. The acquisitions of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz provided fuel to the core that included a dominating duo of Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma. The M’s should have done much better.
That first season should have been a beacon. Servais has never shown a winner’s mentality nor created winner’s results.
In 2017, despite adding Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger, and a whole slew of journeyman starting pitchers to an established roster, the Mariners once again failed to deliver. They finished the season 78-84. Just like the team did with McLendon, they won his first year and then finished with a losing season his second year.
Despite this mixed history, in the midst of a 2018 hot streak with more smoke and mirrors than actual dominance, Dipoto awarded Servais with a contract extension. At the time, Seattle put numbers in the win column but rarely dominated on the field. Instead, they relied on a record-breaking young closer.
As has happened so often in the Mariners past, they failed to make the postseason after a big meltdown. The season ended with a 33-49 record after July 5, which sealed their fate as playoff watchers.
Just like starting over
Most of the Mariners faithful knew that something drastic had to change in 2019. Relying on the status quo wasn’t going to get the M’s to the top of the standings.
Players at the core of Seattle’s roster were traded away for prospects. Dipoto filled the rest of the roster with washed-up veterans via free agency. The M’s no longer resembled a team that could win. Fans got force-fed an idea the team needed to rebuild with the same mediocre manager at the helm.
While some fans were all-in on this, others felt betrayed. It was no surprise that the Mariners finished with a disappointing 68-94 record.