McLaren, Bavasi will return to Mariners

Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln said this afternoon that manager John McLaren and general manager Bill Bavasi will return to the team next season.

Bavasi, who will be back for his fifth season, and former manager Mike Hargrove were placed on the "hot seat" before the season by Lincoln.

McLaren took over as manager when Hargrove quit in midseason.

"I think it's important to understand that managers, whether they are field managers or general managers, don't walk on water," Lincoln said. "They make mistakes. Judging talent is really difficult. But on an objective basis, John McLaren stepped in, he led the team to a winning season. He certainly has the confidence and trust and respect of our players. That's extremely important. So I think he deserves another season."

The Mariners are 84-74 going into tonight's game against Cleveland at Safeco Field.

Lincoln said Bavasi deserved another season.

"Bill has produced a winning season," Lincoln said. "That was the first challenge. He didn't get us to the playoffs, but I think he deserves to continue on as the general manager. It's so disruptive to an organization to change general managers.

"I don't like to change horses in midstream. I didn't want to do it last season and I think the decision I made last season to stick with Bill and Mike proved to be the right decision. I think the decision to remain with Bill and John will turn out to bee the right decision."

Lincoln said he and team president Chuck Armstrong met with McLaren earlier today, after Bavasi had recommended retaining McLaren.

"It was certainly something both Chuck and I completely agreed with," Lincoln said of Bavasi's appeal to keep McLaren. "So we did meet with John. He's excited and ready to go."

There has been much speculation about Bavasi's future. Lincoln said he met with Bavasi to tell him that he and Armstrong wanted him to stay.

"[Bavasi] is already focused on the '08 season," Lincoln said. "We wanted to get that word out because we know there have been a lot of questions about that issue."

Lincoln said he had mixed emotions about the season.

"On the one hand, I'm very pleased we've had a winning season. I don't think you can discount the importance of that," he said. "We came into this season having lost three seasons in a row, and while we made improvements, we were still on the losing end and still in fourth position in AL West."