Jerry Dipoto will return to the Seattle Mariners as president of baseball operations in 2025, The Seattle Times reported.
The team, which held a 10-game lead in the American League West on June 18, enters play this weekend 4½ games behind the Houston Astros.
Manager Scott Servais was fired Aug. 22 after the team finished a 1-8 road trip amid a 20-33 swoon.
Fans had called for both Servais and Dipoto to be ousted at the time, but The Times reported the decision was made earlier to retain Dipoto, 56, for the 2025 season and potentially beyond, regardless of whether the Mariners qualify for the postseason.
The Times said general manager Justin Hollander and most of the front office staff would return.
The team has not commented on Dipoto’s future since the report came out Thursday night.
Since mid-June the Mariners are 27-30 and the Astros are 38-25, leading to the turnaround.
Dipoto joined the organization on Sept. 28, 2015, when he took over as GM. He was promoted to president of baseball operations six years later. The Mariners have one postseason appearance in that span.
Under new manager Dan Wilson, who replaced Servais, Seattle is 7-6. All six losses have come by one run.
The Mariners open a three-game series on Friday in St. Louis against the Cardinals. They have three games remaining with the Astros, Sept. 23-25.