Monday, November 09

SEATTLE -- It was the buzzword among the Mariners’ fanbase for most of the summer, and rightfully so. 

Because by the end of the 2026 season, players, coaches and the front office had either used the word organically and/or offered extensive answers when asked about it. 

Accountability. 

So, naturally, it was among the most pressing topics during Jason Kanzler’s introduction last week as Seattle’s new manager. What is his view on the meaning of accountability, and what measures will he take to ensure that it’s upheld throughout the clubhouse?

“It requires clarity,” he said. “People need to understand what they’re accountable for before you can hold them to accountability. So it starts with clarity, simplicity. Even when the things we’re talking about might be complex, they need to be understood. It makes the hard conversations much, much easier. 

“And in that respect, holding people accountable and the idea of accountability, period, it somewhat takes care of itself. I’m not saying it’s hands-off, but it starts with clarity and understanding what we’re trying to do.”

It was a detailed answer, and perhaps one similar to what he said throughout Seattle’s exhaustive interview process -- at the outset of which, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto mentioned accountability being among the leading criteria that the club would seek among candidates. 

Communication -- to players, media and through multiple levels of the organization beyond the clubhouse -- was another.

“The way he communicates, as you see here today, or you will in the time moving forward, it's very clear,” Dipoto said on Wednesday, when sitting next to Kanzler at the podium. “You won't be confused as to what the directive is when you leave the station, and I think our players will pick up on that.”

Much of the external criticism towards the Mariners’ accountability in 2026, or lack thereof, was that many of their self-inflicted lapses were not met with reprimand. That dynamic fostered an environment where more mistakes would compound, and inherently, losses would add up.

Behind the scenes, multiple sources within the clubhouse suggested this was the case. 

Kanzler detailed how he’ll handle difficult conversations with players.

“Praise publicly, punish privately,” Kanzler said. “There are times where we’re going to have to rip [it] with the whole team, and that's fine. You’ve just got to pick your spots. I've been in a Major League dugout. I've been around Major League players. I've been around Major League clubhouses. I understand when that's appropriate and when it's not.”

He was also asked how he will challenge players -- which may itself present inherent challenges, given that he’s a first-time manager at any level and never played in the Majors.

“I ask a lot of questions,” Kanzler said. “It doesn't necessarily land well with anyone when they're told like, 'You need to do this, you need to think this.' So the way I challenge players and people is I ask questions, I listen a lot, I hear them, I propose alternative ways of thinking or of looking at a problem. 

“With players in this game, they are going to be faced with an unending slew of problems -- small ones, big ones. They're going to have to make adjustments. They're going to have to get better at certain parts of their game. They're going to have to maintain other parts of their game. They're going to have to deal with so many things. 

“And I think just the ability to help them come to the more correct behavioral outcomes and decisions to make themselves better and to work themselves through those situations, the better.”

One of the most blunt reflections Dipoto offered during an end-of-season press conference, one day after Dan Wilson’s ouster as manager, was that the Mariners’ “culture needs a re-set.” 

Kanzler also shed light on how he defines culture.

“Culture is, in my opinion, it’s all the things that you don’t allow,” Kanzler said. “It’s all the things that don’t happen. It’s the things that you hold the line against. It’s doing, obviously, the big things right. It’s doing all of the little things right all of the time. But most importantly, it is not doing the wrong things as much as humanly possible. What we allow is what we stand for, and so that’s what culture means to me.”

Less than 48 hours after that introductory press conference, Kanzler was already in the trenches of his new job -- as he, Dipoto and Hollander were in the process of adding another member to Seattle’s coaching staff. 

Tanner Swanson, a Washington State native who’s been a Major League coordinator for the Yankees since the 2020 season, will be added as Kanzler’s bench coach.

The club has not confirmed the hire, nor has it made a formal announcement on the addition of hitting coach CJ Gillman. 

Swanson, 44, graduated from Cle Elum-Roslyn High School in 2001 then played in the college ranks at Green River and Everett community colleges before earning an undergraduate degree at Central Washington University. And before climbing into pro baseball, he was an assistant coach at the University of Washington -- right down the street from T-Mobile Park.

Dipoto and Hollander will take center stage as the offseason opens its first notable event this week at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, where the sport’s most prominent decision-makers descended on the desert to begin scoping their plans for 2027.

And they could face an accelerated timeline to address their roster voids. 

The GM Meetings are typically where groundwork is laid for many of the major transactions later on. But with the collective bargaining agreement set to expire on Dec. 1, many in the industry speculate that we could see a flurry of movement before then -- as was the case in 2021. 

The Mariners are in the market for bullpen depth and an outfielder, with the strong likelihood that Randy Arozarena will leave in free agency. They might also benefit from another proven infielder -- perhaps as a bridge to Colt Emerson and to account for Brendan Donovan returning from an injury-plagued season. 

We’ll have more coverage on the Meetings later this week.

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