Dipoto retains key members of Mariners' front office
SEATTLE -- While a number of Mariners front office and coaching staff members will not be returning next season, new general manager Jerry Dipoto has chosen to retain a prominent group of holdovers, including assistant general manager Jeff Kingston, amateur scouting director Tom McNamara and pro scouting director Tom Allison.
Also remaining with the organization are two special assistants to the general manager -- Roger Hansen and Ken Madeja -- and international operations director Tim Kissner.
Kingston was former GM Jack Zduriencik's top assistant and served as the interim GM after Zduriencik was dismissed in late August. He's been with the Mariners the past six seasons after working nine years in the Padres' front office.
McNamara served as Zduriencik's scouting director for the past seven seasons after previously working with Zduriencik in Milwaukee. He's been in scouting for the past 20 years.
Allison has also been in scouting for the past two decades. He joined the Mariners three years ago and previously worked with Dipoto with the D-backs.
Hansen and Madeja both were with the Mariners before Zduriencik's arrival. Hansen has been an assistant to the GM since 2011 and previously spent 18 years in a variety of duties with the Mariners, including time as a Major League coach, a Minor League catching coordinator and in player development.
Madeja is a long-time Mariners scout who has been a special assistant to the GM for the past nine years.
That group will continue working with Dipoto, who is in the process of filling a handful of other front-office positions.
Chris Gwynn, the director of player development, resigned last week and five other front-office members -- special assistants to the GM Ted Simmons, Joe McIlvaine and Pete Vuckovich and pro scouts Joe Nigro and Duane Shaffer -- were informed their contracts would not be renewed on Nov. 1.
The Mariners are also undergoing considerable changes on the coaching front. Manager Lloyd McClendon was dismissed last week with one year remaining on his contract and Major League coaches Rich Donnelly, Trent Jewett, Mike Rojas and Andy Van Slyke will also not return, along with bullpen catcher Jason Phillips.
Eight Minor League coaches will also not have their contracts renewed for next season, including Triple-A Tacoma pitching coach Jaime Navarro and hitting coach Cory Snyder. Tacoma manager Pat Listach will be offered the opportunity to return.
The other Minor League coaches not being renewed are Class A Clinton manager Scott Steinmann and pitching coach Cibney Bello, Short-A Everett pitching coach Jason Blanton and hitting coach Mike Davis, Minor League pitching coordinator Terry Clark and Minor League hitting coordinator Lee May Jr.
Additionally, former Mariners hitting coach Howard Johnson, who worked as a roving instructor for Double-A Jackson after being replaced by Edgar Martinez on the big-league staff in midseason, will not be renewed.
Nasusel Cabrera, who was promoted to the Major League coaching staff in midseason after working as the club's Latin America pitching coordinator, will return to the Minor League system in 2016.