Mariners manager Dan Wilson discusses the masterful job by the team's front office

If Mariners manager Dan Wilson believes that he's lived a charmed life, it's only because he has a lot of good reasons to. The former big league catcher returned to the team where he made his name and led them to a division title in his first full season on the bench. And things have gotten better and better in 2026; he's got a roster that qualifies as a World Series contender.

Wilson discussed the job that the front office has done overall, but particularly in this past offseason, on Tuesday. With a refreshed lineup and some promising prospects on the way, the Seattle skipper made sure to praise general manager Justin Hollander and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto in a talk with the MLB Network.

"Jerry [Dipoto] & Justin [Hollander] did such a great job of putting the roster back together... when you start adding those pieces, it's really exciting."

"Jerry [Dipoto] & Justin [Hollander] did such a great job of putting the roster back together... when you start adding those pieces, it's really exciting."@Mariners manager Dan Wilson discusses Brendan Donovan and a loaded farm system in Seattle.

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— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 25, 2026

When Wilson was asked about how he would balance the injection of new talent with an established, contending team, he explained that it was actually a nice problem to have.

"I think it's a great conundrum to have, number one," Wilson commented. "I think the thing you go into a baseball season is knowing you're going to need that depth at some point in the season. Whether it's on the mound, whether it's in the field as a position player, you don't get through a season without things happening. So to have that depth, to have the young players that we have, is such a nice luxury."

Donovan deal was the icing on the cake

Brendan Donovan, 29, is the top move the dynamic duo of Dipoto and Hollander were able to pull off heading into the 2026 campaign. Not arriving until Feb 2, the Donovan deal was weeks in the making. However, the multi-position hitter checks a lot of boxes for the M's.

The veteran has accumulated a career batting average of .282, with 40 home runs, 202 RBI, and an OBP of .361 over his four seasons with the Redbirds. But aside from his on-field accomplishments, Donnie affords the club the luxury of letting their young infielders more time to mature.

"The Mariners should love the overall versatility and depth of this lineup now, with multiple good alternate options available if someone isn't hitting or if there's an injury," ESPN stated about the deal in its report regarding Donovan. "It allows Seattle to play it conservatively with Emerson, given that he's just 20 years old and has only 40 games above Single-A."