The Mariners announced their 2026 coaching staff on Friday morning. There are three news additions to Dan Wilson’s group: bullpen coach Austin Nola, third base coach Carlos Cardoza, and field coordinator Jake McKinley. MLBTR covered Nola’s hiring last month.
Cardoza, 39 in January, gets his first job on an MLB staff. The Puerto Rico native has coached professionally for a decade, spending the majority of that time working in the Texas farm system. He served as a minor league manager and has led the Rangers’ Double-A affiliate for the past three seasons. Seattle needed a new third base coach to replace Kristopher Negrón, who departed to take over as Don Kelly’s bench coach with the Pirates.
McKinley is also making his debut on a big league staff. He makes the jump from the college ranks after spending the past three seasons as the head coach at the University of Nevada. (Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball reported that McKinley was leaving the Wolfpack to join the M’s as field coordinator earlier this week.) The 2025 Mountain West Coach of the Year, McKinley led Nevada to a 19-11 record within conference play to win the regular season conference championship. He’d previously worked in the professional ranks as part of Milwaukee’s player development department.
The rest of Wilson’s staff returns on the heels of the ALCS berth. Bench coach Manny Acta, senior director of hitting strategy Edgar Martinez, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes, pitching coach Pete Woodworth, assistant pitching coach Danny Farquhar, director of pitching strategy Trent Blank, first base coach Eric Young Jr., and infield coach Perry Hill are all back in their previous roles.
Aaron not demanding the Phillies sign Austin to be his personal catcher is an insult to the city of brotherly love.
Replace Dan Wilson. This guy doesn’t know how to manage post-season games.
He doesn’t know how to manage regular season ones either.
Dumbest comment ever
Everyone has already forgot about the 2024 mariners and how we literally couldn’t hit the ball but once Dan came we became one of the stronger offenses
-sad –
Yes, Wilson runs the dugout but each and every aspect of the game (or “your” game) is impossible to teach/control/implement. Good managers hire coaches they trust to teach in their place.
The rebirth of the Mariners offense is more on Gar’s rehire with the addition of Seitzer and his assistant Magallanes than on Wilson.
Seitzer was really impressive in pre season interviews but he and Edgar were even more impressive with what they did to the M’s offense in 25.
I wouldn’t be surprised if after the 26 season Edgar steps down and lets Seitzer run the shop because Edgar will finally have his ring.
Dan had nothing to do with them hitting better. He went down there and taught them something they didnt know? Dan the hitting coach too?
My point is were the mariners going to get better if we kept Scott servais and his staff or are we better with Wilson and his staff
-sad-
I always wonder this myself.
Its the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer debate.
Was it really Switzers arrival that won the Super Bowl for the Cowboys, really put them over the top?
Or was it Johnsons teachings/coaching and would have happened anyways?
Literally, 1 or 2 games go the other way for Servais in each of the last 5 seasons, would he still be here?
I just want to see Seattle become a destination for players cause its known as a winner, no matter who is in the dugout.
@Marinersfan76
This is literally the most hilarious comment threads of the off-season. Only M’s fans and we are all going hard after each other over Dan Wilson! Its kinda great.
Dan was by all reports a great manager of men. He wasn’t too bad on offensive in game coaching decisions, though he plays LH vs RH a little too much, but mostly let his talented hitters do what they do. But his in game pitching decisions, the bullpen usage was pretty bad. He uses his bullpen like its 1998 and like he has never heard of stat sheet. There a reason Fangraphs rated his pitching decisions an “F” this season. He could get better, and certainly should be given a chance. But he needs to show he can adjust too. How the bullpen is deployed will tell us a lot about what he has learned. Being so rigid about when pitchers pitch and when to use them is not the sign of a modern pitching strategy and is literally the reason they lost game 7 of the ALCS. Having faith in guys is one thing. Having reckless faith is how you lose a game.
Not his that fault half the lineup forgot how to hit.
I think you’re long overdue for a reality check. Bob too.
Could have had Stephen Vogt
How far did Cleveland get this year?
Stevil, you suck and the rosters are not comparable so your argument like your sack holds no weight.
Padres must still be hurting after the Austin Nola blockbuster
Talk about trading a player at the right time. Pads got fleeced.
“Replace Dan Wilson” has truly one of the dumbest comments I’ve read on this site. He may have made some mistakes but just like a player, he’s growing and learning. Oh, and by the way, we did win the division this year.
If Dan was able to carry the M’s to a division title and ALCS, imagine what he could do next year.
Dan himself did nothing. The players won that. You could have coached that team to the division win
It’s weird how some people think Dan is a bad manager and needs to be replaced after taking the team further than it’s ever gone before.
I would argue he did it with a flawed team as well. Half the bullpen was terrible and they had a weak bench.Then there’s the fact that their best starter missed the ALDS and was only available in limited relief.
I’m personally more concerned about how the team addresses their needs for 2026 than the coaching staff being mostly the same, but that’s just me.
Dan like scott cannot manage a bullpen or the staff. Another dip-S ex-catcher as a manager , Nola just sucks overall. Anyone could have had the title of “manager” and the team would have done the same the last 2 seasons.
I’d love to see how Seattle takes Houston and Texas when fully healthy and a new Athletics team. The Angels are still well …
I see thumbs up guy, Flag & Mute buttons but I’m not seeing the reply button under a comment?
Has the unthinkable happened………..have I been………..MUTED?!?!?