Commentary: Dan Wilson hire complicates decision on Dipoto’s future with Mariners

So here we are. One month and 25 games left in the Mariners season. A season that’s once again left us with all the emotions – yet anything but satisfied. 

And that begs a hypothetical. 

Now, let me preface it by saying even though things look bleak with the M’s, who are now six games behind the Astros in the AL West and 5 ½ games back of the final wild card spot, stranger things have happened in sports. But I also don’t blame fans ready to burn it all down after losing eight of their last nine games to the god-awful last-place Angels. That’s inexcusable. 

The point I’m here to make is simply: The hiring of Dan Wilson makes things 100 times more complicated when it comes to the future of president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto. 

Think of it this way: If an assistant coach like Manny Acta had been appointed interim manager after Scott Servais was fired – a move many of us expected – then it would be incredibly easy for ownership to clean house at the end of the season, starting with Dipoto. 

Instead, the M’s appointed a beloved organizational figure to replace Servais – a Mariners Hall of Famer no less. And in what I think was a genius move on Dipoto’s part, Dan Wilson was made "full-time" manager for the rest of the season. 

Why was it genius? Consider this: If ownership decided to get rid of Dipoto at the end of this season, they’d be left with a major dilemma, having to do one of two things: Either fire their popular, respected, admired and venerated full-time manager (Wilson) as well. Or, even crazier, make it a stipulation for any new president or general manager to keep Wilson as their skipper – a requirement that would undoubtedly narrow the applicant pool significantly.

Because anyone truly qualified and experienced enough to replace Dipoto would want full authority to hire their *own manager.

And that would force those in charge to say, "Hey Dan, we have to make a change. Thanks for managing our team for…. a month."

So what does it all mean? To me at least, it means that the likelihood of Dipoto remaining in his position for at least one more season is pretty high, whether he deserves it or not. The silver tongue himself could make a pretty compelling case – that they played decent baseball under Wilson but just didn’t have enough time to make up the ground they needed to. 

All Salesman Jerry has to say is: "Hey! Look at this pitching rotation. Look at this farm system. Let’s run it back one more time! It also saves you the trouble of having to fire a Mariners Hall of Famer as manager, and imagine if we’re able to make a run with him in that position!" 

And frankly, who in ownership has the guts to say no to that? 

What I’m saying is, the minute Dan Wilson became full-time manager for the Mariners, he instantly became a firewall for Jerry Dipoto’s future in Seattle. It likely bought Dipoto at least one more year to prove he’s worthy of heading-up a winner, even though he’s failed at doing so for close to a decade here, not to mention five years with the Angels and another in Arizona. 

Whether he deserves another go if the Mariners miss the playoffs again isn’t the point.

It’s that the Dan Wilson move might have been his best personnel move of all – in terms of job security for himself.