Sinking Mariners fire Servais amid AL West slide
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
The Seattle Mariners, in desperate need of a spark with their season slipping away, fired longtime manager Scott Servais on Thursday. Dan Wilson, the longtime Mariners catcher who had been serving as a coordinator in the organization’s minor league system, will replace him.
The decision was made by Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto — a longtime friend of Servais — in the wake of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving the team eight losses in nine games. Seattle held a 10-game lead in the American League West as recently as June 18 and has since gone 20-33, falling five games behind the Houston Astros with only 34 remaining.
“Where we were in the middle of June and where we are today — it’s hard to believe, actually, how quickly it all dissolved for us,” Dipoto said on a videoconference call.
The team also let go of hitting coach Jarret DeHart, whose firing comes less than three months after the dismissal of offensive coordinator Brant Brown. The Mariners, bolstered by a dynamic starting rotation, lead the majors in ERA but rank last in batting average. Their .666 OPS over these past 53 games ranks lower than every team except the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.
“Collectively, we determined that our organization needed this,” Dipoto said. “We needed to do something to create a different theme, a different vibe in our clubhouse. I’m not trying to throw Scott under a bus at all here. I can’t say enough positive things about the things he did in contributing here, but I do think we needed a new voice.”
Servais, 57, came over from the Los Angeles Angels alongside Dipoto and current general manager Justin Hollander following the 2015 season, inheriting a veteran team in transition. Three consecutive playoff absences triggered a rebuild that produced budding superstar Julio Rodriguez, cornerstone catcher Cal Raleigh and most of the current starting rotation.
The Mariners snapped a historic 21-year playoff drought with a 90-win season in 2022 but fell short of the postseason in 2023 because of a lackluster September. Fearing a loss of revenue due to uncertainty over the team’s regional sports network, ownership opted against an increase in payroll during the offseason, prompting the front office to try to fix the offense with low-cost moves that did not pan out.
Newcomers Mitch Garver (.614 OPS), Mitch Haniger (.643) and Jorge Polanco (.672) all struggled; J.P. Crawford failed to replicate his offensive surge from 2023; and Rodriguez did not perform like his superstar self. The front office hoped to inject life into the lineup by acquiring Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner before the July 30 trade deadline, and the team responded by winning six of nine games at the start of August. Then came the nine-game stretch that put the club at .500 for the first time since April 24 and ultimately cost Servais his job.
Servais briefly met with players in the wake of Wednesday’s sweep-clinching loss to the Dodgers and told them to use the upcoming off day as an opportunity to reset and prepare for the stretch run. It wound up being his final conversation with the team.
The next morning, he learned about his firing through a report in The Athletic, ahead of a scheduled meeting with Dipoto.
Dipoto expressed frustration with that dynamic, which added to the difficulty of firing someone he still considers a good friend.
“It was already going to be difficult, but that made it even more difficult,” Dipoto said of the report. “I’ve known Scott for, boy, three decades. We were teammates as players. We worked together in Colorado and Anaheim, here in Seattle. We’ve worked together in just about every capacity that you can, from scouts to front office people to managers and executives.
“I trust Scott. I believe in his baseball. I believe in him as a human being. I think he did an excellent job and brought stability to this team by the time he joined in 2015 until now. Scott’s been my friend for many, many years. I can’t stress enough how tough this day was for me. And tougher for him, frankly.”
Servais, in a statement later Thursday, called his time with the Mariners “one of the greatest honors of my career,” and thanked the players, franchise and fans.
“To the city of Seattle, you embraced my family and me and we are forever grateful for your support. As this chapter closes, I leave with pride in what we’ve accomplished together and excitement for what the future holds,” he said.
The 55-year-old Wilson, who played for Seattle from 1994 to 2005, has served in a variety of roles within the organization since retiring as a player, including special assistant for player development. Dipoto called him “an incredibly patient person, kindhearted.”
“As soon as he walks into a room, you know he’s there to help you,” Dipoto said. “That is inviting to any player.”
The Mariners hope it’s enough to turn around a season that has quickly spiraled toward disappointment.
“Our goal here is that this team has five, six weeks here to get to a postseason,” Dipoto said. “I know we haven’t played like that for the last two months, but we have a lot of talent in that room. Most or all of us thought that this was the most talented team that we’d ever brought together, and we just haven’t played that way, especially for the last few months.
“There’s no reason this team can’t get on a good run to finish it.”
The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set to deliver yet another exhilarating race to the finish. From the field to the favorite, here is everything to know about the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.
When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
What time does the 2025 Kentucky Derby begin?
The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.
How can fans watch?
Coverage of the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock will stream early coverage beginning at noon ET.
How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby?
Twenty horses have the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.
How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?
To earn a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby, a horse must compete in a series of designated races from September through mid-April. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points, or the horses who win their international series, earn a spot in the starting gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.
Who is the favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, opened as the 3-1 favorite.
What are the post positions for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Post 1: Citizen Bull (20-1 morning line odds)
Post 2: Neoequos (30-1)
Post 3: Final Gambit (30-1)
Post 4: Rodriguez (12-1)
Post 5: American Promise (30-1)
Post 6: Admire Daytona (30-1)
Post 7: Luxor Cafe (15-1)
Post 8: Journalism (3-1)
Post 9: Burnham Square (12-1)
Post 10: Grande (20-1)
Post 11: Flying Mohawk (30-1)
Post 12: East Avenue (20-1)
Post 13: Publisher (20-1)
Post 14: Tiztastic (20-1)
Post 15: Render Judgment (30-1)
Post 16: Coal Battle (30-1)
Post 17: Sandman (6-1)
Post 18: Sovereignty (5-1)
Post 19: Chunk of Gold (30-1)
Post 20: Owen Almighty (30-1)
Alternate: Baeza
Which post has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners?
Post 5 has produced the most winners, with 10.
What three races make up horse racing’s Triple Crown?
The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races needed to accomplish the Triple Crown.
Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?
Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, won last year’s Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds.
What is the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
Since 2024, $5 million in prize money has been guaranteed for the Kentucky Derby.
Check out the ESPN horse racing hub page for the latest news and notes ahead of the big race.
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Ryan S. Clark
Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.
There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.
But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.
“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”
In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.
Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.
Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.
Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.
As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.
Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.
“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”
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