MLB Rumors: Seattle Mariners Lay Off Manager Lloyd McClendon; PCL Picks Shortstop Ketel Marte As Number 8 Prospect

By Jomar Endriga
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Lloyd McClendon relieved of duties as Seattle Mariners manager after two seasons.  Wikimedia Commons

The Seattle Mariners have decided to part ways with manager Lloyd McClendon. The move, which was announced on Friday, is based on a decision by newly installed general manager Jerry Dipoto, according to the Seattle Times.

Furthermore, a huge chunk of the sacked manager's coaching staff has also been terminated or reassigned. Third-base coach Rich Donnelly, bullpen coach Mike Rojas, bench coach Trent Jewett,and outfield coach Andy Van Slyke were all released by the team. ,

During McClendon's two-season stint with the Mariners he delivered a record of 163-161, good for a .503 winning percentage. He laso guided the M's to an 87-75 mark in his first year. In 2015, however, Seattle only finished 10 games under .500 and placed fourth in the AL West, despite high preseason expectations.

Yahoo Sports observed that a manager with the same record as McClendon's would have gotten another opportunity. But the the Mariners opted to overhaul the organization, leading to his dismissal.

Back in August, Seattle has given the pink slip to then general manager Jack Zduriencik and brought in a replacement the following month, former Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry Dipoto. When Dipoto became the new GM, many had suspected that McClendon's time with the Mariners will soon end.

Speaking with reporters in a conference call on Friday, Dipoto said, "I just felt in the end, that I owed it to Lloyd and I owed it to the staff, to the players, to the Mariners organization and to myself to be honest in my assessment of where the Mariners were and where we needed to be."

In history is of any indication, majority of new general managers prefer to bring in their own manager. It looks like Jerry Dipoto is no different. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times wrote, citing baseball sources, that Angels special assistant Tim Bogar is a "favorite" to be McClendon's replacement. When the Mariners names a new manager, he will be the team's ninth overall manager since they last made the playoffs more than a decade ago..

Meanwhile, Seattle Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte was named by Baseball America as the Pacific Coast League's (PCL) No. 8 prospect. The 21-year-old is the only Mariners player who made it to the popular sports magazine's PCL Top 20 Prospects for 2015.

Marte put exhibited his skills at Triple-A Tacoma before his July 31 summons to the big leagues, so his appearance on the PCL's top prospects is not entirely surprising. The magazine described him as a "switch-hitter " and reported that "Marte has quick, line-drive swing and a good feel for the barrel. He is an aggressive hitter, but doesn't strike out often and increased his walk rate this year. He has above-average speed and knows how to use it."

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