Mariners fire GM Jack Zduriencik; assistant GM Jeff Kingston to take over

The Seattle Mariners have relieved general manager Jack Zduriencik of his duties, the team announced Friday. Assistant GM Jeff Kingston will take over for the rest of the 2015 season.

"We have reached the point when change of leadership of our baseball operations is needed for the Seattle Mariners to reach our goal of winning championships," team president Kevin Mather said in a press conference.

"We are very disappointed with the results this season and are not satisfied with the current operation. The search for a permanent general manager will begin immediately, and while there is no deadline, we expect to have a new GM in place as soon as practical."

During Zduriencik's tenure with the team, beginning in October of 2008, the Mariners compiled a 505-595 record - fifth-worst in the majors over that time. This season has been among the most disappointing, with the team sitting ten games under .500 despite a roster featuring Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, and Nelson Cruz.

Prior to taking the Mariners job, Zduriencik was highly regarded for building a deep pool of prospects with the Milwaukee Brewers, for whom he served as director of scouting from 1999-2006 and as special assistant to the general manager from 2006-2008. He was the first-ever non-GM to receive the Major League Executive of the Year award in 2007.

Kingston, meanwhile, has been with the Mariners organization since 2009, and previously spent seven years as Director of Baseball Operations for the San Diego Padres.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports that the Mariners have already begun reaching out to potential replacements, including former Colorado Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd. Multiple reports have also mentioned former Los Angeles Angels GM Jerry Dipoto and Texas Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine as candidates for the job.