Mariners give manager, Servais, multiyear extension
SEATTLE (AP) — The Mariners will have some continuity in the managerial chair for a change.
Seattle signed Scott Servais to a multiyear contract extension on Friday as the club opened the second half of the season in position to potentially end the longest current playoff drought in the four major pro sports.
The extension was a reward after Servais led Seattle to a 58-39 record prior to the All-Star break and a hold on the second wild-card spot in the American League. Seattle hasn’t been to the post-season since 2001.
“I’m still learning and I look forward to learning,” Servais said. “You constantly are trying to get better at this. I’d like to say I have it all figured out — far from it. And I don’t see myself ever being that way.”
Servais is 222-199 since arriving in Seattle in 2016, the first managerial job of his career. Seattle went 87-75 in Servais’ first season, before dipping to 78-84 last year as Seattle was mired in injury issues. Servais, 51, previously worked in the front offices of the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers.
Servais’ extension was expected from the moment general manager Jerry Dipoto signed an extension earlier this month. Both arrived in Seattle on three-year contracts prior to the 2016 season and their long-term future with the club was tied together.
“Probably the worst-kept secret in the game. If I got mine, he was going to get his,” Dipoto joked.
What’s notable about the Servais extension is the rare continuity it will create in Seattle. Assuming nothing unexpected forces a change, Servais will be just the third manager in the club’s history to begin a fourth season in charge of the Mariners.
Darrell Johnson, the team’s first-ever manager in 1977, was let go midway through his fourth season in 1980. Lou Piniella was Seattle’s manager from 1993-2002.
Since Piniella left after the 2002 season, Seattle had eight different managers or interim managers over the following 13 seasons. Only one — Eric Wedge — completed three full seasons in charge.
Servais is a leading contender for AL manager of the year because of what Seattle has accomplished.
The Mariners have overcome a number of key injuries and the suspension of Robinson Cano for 80 games to get into position for a playoff berth.
“We’ve put ourselves in position. We’ve talked about bringing playoff baseball back to the Pacific Northwest and we’ve got a shot,” Servais said. “It’s not going to be easy, but the goal here for the remainder of this season . . . is how good can the 2018 Mariners be? If we get to the point where I think we can, we’ll be just fine in the playoff race.”