The Mariners announced today that pitching coach Bryan Price and hitting coach Don Baylor have resigned from manager Mike Hargrove's coaching staff.

In addition, Jeff Newman, who was third-base coach until leaving in August with an Achilles tendon injury, will not be back.

Four coaches will return:

Jim Slaton, who was bullpen coach, will be back. However, it was significant that Seattle officials did not specify a position for Slaton, 55, who could be a top candidate to replace Price as pitching coach. He had worked with pitchers in Seattle's farm system prior to joining the major-league staff this year.

Carlos Garcia, 37, who replaced Newman as third-base coach, will be back in that position, as well as coaching infielders.

Ron Hassey, 52, will be back as bench coach.

Mike Goff, 43, the minor-league coordinator of instruction who replaced Newman and coached first base and outfielders, will be back to perform those jobs.

Price said simply, "It's time. I have no problems here, in fact I really enjoyed working with Mike [Hargrove] and I have nothing but good things to say about the organization and the people in it.

"I will miss Seattle and the Mariners, but it's time for me to seek new challenges.''

Price took time to emphasize that there is nothing to the speculation linking him with Arizona and Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, with whom Price got close to in Melvin's time as Seattle manager.

"I am going out naked,'' said Price, who lives in Arizona. "I have had no contact with any other organization and I have not talked with Bob [Melvin]. I don't even know if I'll be able to get another job. I just felt my time here in Seattle had run its course and it was time for the Mariners to bring in someone with fresh ideas. I hope I can do that for some other organization, but we'll see.''

Baylor, who managed the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs, said last week that he would be in the market to interview for one of several managing vacancies expected to be available this offseason.

"I made no secret of that,'' he said. "I told them when I came in I wanted to manage again.''

Yet Baylor was not happy with the way this season has gone, either for the Seattle offense and hitters, well down the league lists in average, power and run production, or about the way the instruction had evolved this past year.

"Too many guys are on their own program, working with other guys or focused on film and not on the coaching input,'' he said. "That's not the way you do it, not in my mind.''