Ex-Mariners manager Servais learned of firing via news alert

Former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais confirmed Friday he learned of his firing through a news alert before a scheduled meeting with general manager Jerry Dipoto.

"When you're part of an organization for nine years, it feels like family," he told MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. "It was alarming that I found out that way. But it happened. I can't say that it didn't happen. It absolutely happened that way."

Servais led the Mariners through plenty of ups and downs during his nearly decade-long tenure with the club.

Seattle went 680-642 under the 57-year-old's leadership. The highlight of his managerial stint came in 2022 when he led the Mariners back to the playoffs for the first time in 21 seasons.

The Mariners have struggled to recapture that magic and entered Friday 5.5 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West after a strong start.

Servais, who has worked in a variety of roles across more than 35 years in professional baseball, said he intends to stick around the game in hopes of one day securing another managerial gig.

"You hope that experience helps you out," Servais said. "I know it helped me, and I feel I was a much better manager the more I did it, the more years I did it. I say all that, and obviously, it didn't end the way here I hoped it would."