Dan Wilson will not return as Seattle Mariners manager in 2027
SEATTLE, Wash. (KTVZ) -- Dan Wilson will not return as field manager of the Seattle Mariners in 2027, the team announced Sunday.
The decision was announced by Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, following conversations between team management and Wilson this week.
The change comes after the organization concluded that a new direction was necessary for the team moving forward. “Collectively we failed to meet our own expectations this season,” Dipoto said. “Dan and I both care deeply about this organization, these players and the future of the Mariners. After much discussion it was concluded that a new direction is best for 2027 and beyond.”
Departing Field Manager Dan Wilson reflected on his tenure with the team following the announcement. “I've appreciated the opportunity to lead this team the past two years,” Wilson said. “While this season has not gone the way any of us expected, I'm proud that the players in the clubhouse showed up each day to try and compete and battle in each game they played. I'm confident that the 2026 season doesn't accurately reflect the talent, passion and desire of our players and know that bright things are ahead for this group.”
Wilson was named manager on Aug. 22, 2024 and led the team to Game seven of the American League Championship Series in 2025. He finished his managing tenure with a career record of 187-171 (.522), marking the second-best winning percentage in franchise history behind Lou Piniella (.542). Wilson is the only manager to lead the Mariners to the postseason in his first full season and the second to win a division title. In 2025, he was named Sporting News AL Manager of the Year and finished third in the BBWAA AL Manager of the Year voting.
John Stanton, chairman and managing partner of the Mariners, expressed interest in retaining Wilson in another capacity. “I want to add my thanks to Dan for the work he's done as manager,” Stanton said. “I have also spoken with Dan and made it clear that we would like to keep him in our organization. I look forward to continued conversations as we work to identify a role in which we can continue to benefit from his experience and commitment to the Mariners and our community.”
Prior to taking over as manager, Wilson worked 11 seasons in an on-field role within the Mariners baseball operations group, including seven seasons as a special assistant for player development. He served as a television commentator for Mariners broadcasts from 2011 to 2024 and coordinated community service initiatives throughout the club's minor league system.
Wilson also spent 12 seasons of his 14-year Major League Baseball playing career in Seattle from 1994 to 2005, after playing for the Cincinnati Reds from 1992 to 1993. He played 1,237 games as a catcher for Seattle, the most in franchise history and was an AL All-Star in 1996. Wilson was inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame in 2012 and was recognized in August as one of the 50 Greatest Mariners of all time.
Off the field, Wilson and his wife, Annie, reside in Seattle, where they raised four children. Their local charitable involvement includes work with First Place School, All God's Children International and Seattle Children's Hospital, along with serving as co-chairs for the 2012-13 United Way of King County annual giving campaign.
Mariners leadership and Wilson will hold continued conversations to identify a future role for him within the organization.
