Commentary: M’s ownership only heightens negative stigma by keeping Dipoto

It’s time those in charge either make the moves that will appease this fanbase or actually face the music and answer the tough questions for why they continue to sit still.

I’m pretty sure Mariners ownership doesn’t love the stigma that they don’t care about winning or that profits will always trump results on the field.

If that’s the case, they’re not doing much to shed that stigma – providing another example this week.

If you missed it, the Seattle Times reported that ownership has decided to move forward with Jerry Dipoto as the team’s president of baseball operations for the 2025 season and possibly beyond. Given that the Mariners are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the eighth time in Dipoto’s nine seasons with the team, it certainly makes ownership’s decision look tone deaf to a fan base desperate for a winner.

But what frustrates me more than anything is that this decision was reportedly made when the Mariners were still in first place and Scott Servais was still manager.

Hey guys: Things have changed!

To me, it’s strikingly familiar to the first time Dipoto was given an extension in 2018. The Mariners were doing fairly well in early July, so they announced an extension. The M’s then proceeded to miss the playoffs, and Dipoto, extension in hand, decided to tear the whole thing down.

Has Dipoto done some good things, given the circumstances? From starting pitching to the farm system, of course! Has he also made some putrid signings? Absolutely. But if the Mariners end up missing the playoffs this year, keeping him for at least another season only plays into the long-held belief that this franchise isn’t serious about winning.

In 2016, when John Stanton became team chairman, he said, "Mariners fans have been so positive, so patient with the team. It is time they were rewarded with playoff and World Series baseball… we owe you a good product on the field…we will try to earn and live up to that trust."

Eight years later, ownership continues to string fans along with unfulfilled promises. From unexpectedly reducing payroll last offseason, to Stanton hiding in the back of the room during the end-of-season press conference last season and avoiding the media when things have once again turned sour. Or refusing to face the music in an actual live press conference when a managerial change was made, and putting Dipoto on Zoom instead.

From the very top, it feels as though accountability seems non-existent. And to potentially reward another playoff-less season with status quo? And wasting one of the best pitching rotations in baseball? No wonder fans are fed up.

Need I remind everyone that it has never been easier to make the playoffs, thanks to a third Wild Card being added in 2022. And the M’s are on the verge of missing it again. In a results-based business, to fans, that’s literally the only result that matters. So consider the optics when ownership refuses to make a change, and even worse, makes key decisions without waiting for the final results first!

If the Mariners shock the world and somehow make it, I’ll gladly change my tune. After all, they’re just 3 ½ games out of the final wild card spot with 18 games left.

But the point remains: It’s time those in charge either make the moves that will appease this fanbase or actually face the music and answer the tough questions for why they continue to sit still.

Status quo rarely works even for winning organizations – so imagine the damage it does when you’re a franchise that’s consistently harbored disappointment when it comes to results on the field.