SEATTLE — Not everyone is leaving the Mariners’ front office under new general manager Jerry Dipoto. Quite a few are staying, in fact.
Assistant general manager Jeff Kingston will return for a seventh season, club officials confirmed Wednesday, along with amateur scouting director Tom McNamara and pro scouting director Tom Allison.
McNamara will be back for his eighth season, which suggests Dipoto assigns most of the blame for the organization’s spotty in-house pipeline in recent years to the player-development department.
Chris Gwynn announced recently he would not return for a fifth season as the player-development director.
The Mariners also made numerous staff changes throughout their farm system, although Triple-A Tacoma manager Pat Listach will be offered the chance to return for a second season.
Allison is back for his fourth season. His previous jobs included a tour as Arizona’s scouting director when Dipoto served as the Diamondbacks’ interim general manager.
Kingston was one of three finalists to replace Jack Zduriencik as the Mariners’ general manager before president Kevin Mather, with ownership’s approval, chose Dipoto on Sept. 28.
While Dipoto dismissed several of Zduriencik’s inner staff, he chose to keep long-time special assistants Roger Hansen and Ken Madeja. Also returning is Tim Kissner as international operations director.
Those departing, announced previously, include senior advisor Ted Simmons and special assistants Joe McIlvaine and Pete Vuckovich.
Club officials confirmed at least eight minor-league coaches and coordinators are not being retained, including two Tacoma coaches: pitching coach Jaime Navarro and hitting coach Cory Snyder.
The Mariners also dismissed one coach at Short-A Everett: pitching coach Jason Blanton.
Also departing: Lo-A Clinton manager Scott Steinmann, hitting coach Mike Davis and pitching coach Cibney Bello; minor-league pitching coordinator Terry Clark; and minor-league hitting coordinator Lee May Jr.
Former big-league hitting coach Howard Johnson, who was reassigned in June after the club hired Edgar Martinez, is also leaving the organization.
Martinez and infield coach Chris Woodward the only coaches being retained on the big-league staff.
Manager Lloyd McClendon was fired earlier this week, along with four of his staff: bench coach Trent Jewett, third-base coach Rich Donnelly, outfield coach Andy Van Slyke and bullpen coach Mike Rojas.
The Mariners said pitching coach Rick Waits and quality-control coach Chris Prieto would be offered other positions within the organization.
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