Seattle Mariners fire general manager Jack Zduriencik
The Seattle Mariners announced on Friday that they’ve fired general manager Jack Zduriencik. Assistant general manager Jeff Kingston will be the team’s replacement in the interim, though club president Kevin Mather said the club wants to have a new GM in place by mid-October. Mather offered this statement in a press release today:
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“We have reached the point when change of leadership of our baseball operations is needed for the Seattle Mariners to reach our goal of winning championships. We are very disappointed with the results this season, and are not satisfied with the current operation. The search for a permanent general manager will begin immediately, and while there is no deadline, we expect to have a new GM in place as soon as practical. We have great respect for Jack and his work ethic. He was an excellent representative of the Mariners both within the game of baseball and in the community. On behalf of the entire organization, I wish him and (his wife) Debbie all the best, and thank him for all his efforts.”
Zduriencik’s legacy in Seattle is a confusing one to say the least. In recent years, Zduriencik has signed Robinson Cano to a 10-year mega contract, locked up ace Felix Hernandez, signed current MLB home run leader Nelson Cruz, brought Hisashi Iwakuma into the rotation from Japan, and traded for center fielder Austin Jackson, who has bounced back from struggles in Detroit under former hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. It’s hard to fault Zduriencik for any of those moves, though things haven’t all been smooth sailing.
Zduriencik also constructed the Mariners team that flopped after bringing in Cliff Lee in the offseason, and has watched former second-overall picks Danny Hultzen and Dustin Ackley (who has since been traded to the Yankees) struggle to live up to their promise. Ackley did very little to make an impact in Seattle, while Hultzen has thrown just 167.2 total minor-league innings in four full seasons since being drafted. Jack Z also dealt catcher Welington Castillo, prospect Gabby Guerrero and two others to the Diamondbacks for Mark Trumbo, who has struggled heavily since coming over to Seattle.
Perhaps the most fair assessment of Zduriencik’s work is that despite showing a keen ability to add talent, he failed to construct a productive, well-rounded roster. Despite being linked to the likes of David Ortiz, Prince Fielder and other notable power hitters in recent years, Seattle current sits with Trumbo and Jesus Montero as its designated hitter and first baseman, respectively. Going up against the potent offenses of Houston and Texas in the AL West, having offensive liabilities starting at notoriously offensive-oriented positions and expecting to compete seems to be a poorly-thought out plan.
As for who will replace Zduriencik in Seattle, the Mariners have reportedly already been in touch with potential candidates, including former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick lists former Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest, who is looking to make a return to baseball, as a potential candidate — Beinfest broke into baseball working with Seattle. There are no reports directly linking the two parties, however.