Mariners Get AL West Wake-Up Call as Athletics Interview Mike Rizzo

As if the Mariners needed another warning that the A’s see 2026 as a temporary setback, their interview with Mike Rizzo makes their ambitions hard to miss. The Athletics had already made the point on the field, beating Seattle five times in seven September meetings.

Seattle’s 19-1 eruption was the loudest result of the stretch. It was also one of only two Mariners wins. That blowout was surrounded by five losses, including three by one run. To make matters worse, they pulled it off without Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, all of whom are out for the season. Shea Langeliers did return, but only for the final two games. Seattle essentially faced a stripped-down preview of its division rival and still couldn’t control it.

Now the A’s are looking for someone to build the rest. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the A’s formally interviewed Rizzo and longtime A’s executive Billy Owens for their general manager vacancy. Former Astros GM James Click is reportedly being considered as well, and the club would like to complete the search before the regular season ends.

Rizzo has also expressed interest in Houston’s opening. That puts Seattle in a weird position. One accomplished executive could land with either of its division rivals, while another former Astros architect may end up running the A’s. Obviously, no hire has been made yet. The candidate list still tells us plenty about how seriously the A’s are on turning the chapter.

Mike Rizzo Headlines Three Very Different Athletics Blueprints

Rizzo supplies a recognizable name and the championship résumé. The Washington Nationals won four division titles and the 2019 World Series during his tenure. Rizzo built through scouting and player development, then showed a willingness to make expensive, consequential pitching investments. Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg were central pieces of that championship roster.

That kind of background should appeal to the Athletics. Through their first 149 games, A’s pitchers had produced a 5.41 ERA, allowed 852 runs and posted an 82 ERA+. Their offense, even with the late-season injuries, sat much closer to league average. The young position-player foundation is there. The pitching, not so much.

Rizzo has experience identifying the point when a developing team needs more established talent. He has also seen how quickly expensive commitments can become burdens. Washington never returned to the postseason after 2019, and several of its biggest contracts aged terribly.

Owens would represent a different approach. He has worked for the A’s since 1999 and has served as assistant GM and director of player personnel since 2015. He knows the organization’s scouting process, he’s familiar with their minor league system and the young players already arriving in the majors.

If the Athletics believe the position-player pipeline is working and the pitching operation needs targeted repairs, Owens could make a credible case that he understands exactly what must change.

At the same time, he’d also have to answer for the failures of that structure. Promoting from within can’t be packaged as a fresh direction unless Owens has a specific plan for rebuilding an underwhelming pitching staff.

Click might be the most unsettling possibility for Seattle. He spent 15 years with the Rays before running Houston’s baseball operations for three seasons, culminating in a 2022 World Series championship. His background combines small-market roster management, advanced data-driven development and experience maintaining an AL West franchise that has sat atop the division for years.

The Athletics know that they need someone capable of turning a promising young lineup into a complete roster without wasting years or money. Click’s résumé is a clean fit.

The Mariners Already Lost to the Athletics’ Rough Draft

Any discussion of the A’s eventually reaches owner John Fisher. A GM can identify what it takes to turn the machine around. But ownership still has to provide the resources and authority to finish the job. With the move to Las Vegas targeted for 2028, the organization has publicly discussed increasing payroll as it approaches the new ballpark.

Ownership promises are something the Mariners fanbase is pretty familiar with. They know that Seattle cannot build its plans around the hope that Fisher will sabotage whichever executive gets the job.

The Athletics already have a group of young hitters capable of giving the Mariners a headache. A healthy lineup featuring Kurtz, Rooker, Soderstrom, Wilson, Langeliers and Lawrence Butler are a legit threat with several years of club control. Competent pitching additions could change the complexion of that team immediately. The Mariners had the opportunity to capitalize on a down and out A’s team and failed miserably.

After coming within one victory of the World Series in 2025, Seattle left Sacramento with a 70-80 record and another reminder of how fragile its window has become.

Seattle’s front office must decide its own path for 2027. They need to identify their roster needs, whether its depth is good enough and whether organizational continuity still deserves unquestioned trust. The A’s are openly examining multiple visions for their future while the Mariners are still trying to figure out how a team that was meant to contend completely unraveled.

All of the A’s options carry risk. But each also gives them a decent path forward. The Mariners used to be able to count on this dysfunction from the A’s as if it were a permanent feature. That assumption is rather unstable now. They already have the foundation. They’re now choosing who gets to continue the build.

Whatever happens with Rizzo, Owens or Click, the Mariners’ response belongs to their own front office now.

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