Lloyd McClendon may be looking for a new job. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto is expected to let McClendon go and hire his own manager (something he couldn’t do in Anaheim).
McClendon is a holdover from the Jack Zduriencik hierarchy, and it is believed new Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto will decide to bring in his own manager. That decision is expected to come fairly soon.
Dipoto, according to sources, has been carefully considering this move. McClendon is said to have an excellent relationship with the Mariners’ big stars so it’s a bit tricky. Robinson Cano likes McClendon so much, in fact, that the manager was part of his sales pitch to get Nelson Cruz to go there. Dipoto took the time to get to know McClendon over the last week, but it never seemed likely McClendon would be retained.
Dipoto has gutted the Mariners front office since taking over. Director of player development Chris Gwynn resigned. Senior adviser Ted Simmons was let go. Executives Duane Shaffer, Pete Vuckovich, Joe McIlvaine, and Joe Nigro weren’t retained.
For better or worse, this is Dipoto’s team now, and whatever ends up happening (good or bad) with the 2016 Mariners will be pinned on him.
