Mariners name ex-catcher Servais as new manager
The Seattle Mariners hired former big league catcher Scott Servais as their manager Friday, giving the job to someone with ties to the new front office but no experience running a team.
Servais, 48, replaces Lloyd McClendon, who was fired this month after Seattle went 76-86.
“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to manage the Seattle Mariners,” Servais said in a team statement. “It has long been my goal to manage a big league team and while I took a slightly different path than many, I am confident in my ability to lead. We have a terrific core of players and I’m looking forward to bringing in a coaching staff that will help me establish a winning culture here as we work toward putting a championship-caliber team on the field for the fans of the Northwest.”
New Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto made the announcement. Servais has worked the past five seasons as an assistant general manager for the Angels and worked alongside Dipoto for most of that time. Dipoto resigned as Angels GM on July 1.
Not only did Dipoto and Servais work together with the Angels, they were teammates in Colorado in 2000.
Servais oversaw the Angels’ scouting and player development. He joined Dipoto and the Angels in 2011 after spending six seasons as the senior director of player development with Texas. Servais was credited with the growth of slugger Nelson Cruz during the time together with the Rangers — Cruz now plays for Seattle.
Servais played for Houston, the Cubs and San Francisco. He hit .245 with 63 homers and 319 RBIs in 820 career games.
Mets: Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes received a cortisone injection in his sore left shoulder, and the team expects him to be ready for the World Series next week.
Rays: The St. Petersburg City Council approved a proposal that would allow the Rays to look at new ballpark locations, but the city’s mayor doesn’t think the team will agree. The Rays would be charged up to $4 million a year to leave Tropicana Field before their lease ends in 2027, as well as $5 million in additional fees. That means the Rays would pay up to $33 million if they moved in 2020.
Noteworthy: Lawyers for an Athletics season ticket-holder who sued MLB in July asking teams to extend protective netting at ballparks have filed an amended complaint detailing more alleged injuries. The suit claims nearly 90 additional injuries have occurred since the suit originally was filed. It adds the 30 big league teams as defendants.