The Seattle Mariners moved on from manager Dan Wilson immediately after the conclusion of the 2026 MLB season. The move to fire Wilson was not especially surprising following what was a truly disappointing season for the Mariners. While it often takes time for a ball club to find its next manager, is it possible that the Mariners already have a leading candidate to replace Wilson? According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, that may be the case.

“Dan Wilson is already out in Seattle and Torey Lovullo already may be the leading candidate to replace him,” Nightengale wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Lovullo is currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Arizona was in postseason contention until the final day of the season, but the D'Backs fell just short of sneaking into the National League Wild Card. Now, with Lovullo on an expiring contract, the Diamondbacks and the manager are considering what is next for both of their futures.

The Mariners' rumored interest is understandable. Lovullo has emerged as one of the better managers in baseball.

Torey Lovullo linked to Mariners' manager opening

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Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo against the Cleveland Guardians at Chase Field.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Lovullo has managed the team since 2017. He's had a number of up and down seasons, but Arizona has not been unquestionably bad since 2021, when the ball club won just 52 games. The Diamondbacks displayed improvement the following season and ended up reaching the World Series in 2023. Although they lost to the Texas Rangers, it was clear that Arizona had potential.

The D'Backs won 89 games in 2024, 80 games in 2025 and 86 games this season. Arizona's 86-win campaign would have been enough to land a Wild Card spot in the American League. It saw them fall just short in the NL, though.

The Mariners were expected to not only compete for the postseason this year, but many thought they could reach the World Series. Instead, despite playing in a lackluster overall AL, Seattle somehow missed the playoffs altogether. Perhaps hiring Lovullo — if he does not return to the Diamondbacks — could help the Mariners bounce back next season.