The contract of Executive Vice President & General Manager Jerry Dipoto was extended by the Seattle Mariners for several years, as the team’s success on the field translates into extended stability in the front office.
Dipoto is in his third full season with the Mariners after he was originally hired on Sept. 28, 2015, replacing Jack Zduriencik. He is the ninth full-time General Manager in Mariners history. After his hiring, Since the start of the 2016 season (Dipoto’s first full year), the Mariners have the eighth-best record in the major leagues at 221-196. This season, Seattle boasts the fourth-best mark in Major League Baseball at 57-34.
“As I said when I arrived here, I believe this organization has every opportunity to be successful on a consistent basis,” Dipoto said in a press release. “The combination of a supportive ownership group, great ballpark, passionate fan base and beautiful city gives us all the tools we need to consistently compete for division titles, and division titles give us the opportunity to attain our primary goal: Winning the World Series here in Seattle.”
A veteran of 18 seasons as a baseball executive, Dipoto got his start immediately after retiring as a player in 2001. He was a special assistant for the Colorado Rockies (2001-02), followed by two seasons working in the scouting department for the Boston Red Sox (2003-04). He returned to the Rockies as the Director of Player Personnel (2005) and then moved to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization as Vice President of Player Personnel (2006-10) and was appointed the Diamondbacks interim General Manager on July 1, 2010. Dipoto was the Los Angeles Angels GM from Oct. 29, 2011 to July 1, 2015, helping guide the club to the American League West title in 2014 while finishing with the most wins (98) in the Majors. He worked with the Red Sox as a Special Assistant from July 2015 until joining the Mariners.
“Jerry arrived here two-and-a-half years ago with a specific plan for our franchise,” said Mariners President & Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mather in a press statement. “He has successfully executed that plan, resulting in a younger, more athletic and, most importantly, far more successful Major League team.
“At the same time, he has upgraded nearly every aspect of our overall baseball operation, improving systems, staff and communication in our Major League operations, our player development system, our pro and amateur scouting departments and our revamped High Performance Area,” Mather said.