Dipoto said the Mariners likely won't spend big on free agents in the near future GETTY IMAGES
Mariners Exec VP & GM Jerry Dipoto's fate with the team is "dependent on the success of a rebuild that is still in Phase 1," and in his mind, it is "progressing right on schedule," according to Larry Stone of the SEATTLE TIMES. That is "admittedly a tough sell" when the Mariners are headed toward missing the playoffs for the 18th consecutive year, but this season was "never about winning." Stone: "But even if you agree with the intent, it takes another leap of faith to believe that the Mariners are executing it well." The club has a "rainy-day fund" accumulated by shedding future payroll obligations, and fans "want to see that money spent." But Dipoto, who has served in his role since '15, said, "We don’t intend to go throw that at the free-agent market, because quite frankly we’re not one player away, as you can see." It is "likely to be another trying season in 2020." Dipoto: "I’d like to tell you we’re doing the smart thing. We’ll find out, is the real answer. ... There is no scientific answer to the question. I can’t give you a decimal point or a dollar amount or a date and time when it’s all going to crest" (SEATTLE TIMES, 9/20).
