Mariners could name new manager as soon as Tuesday

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik could name a new manager as soon as Tuesday after deciding not to hold a second round of interviews for the job.

Zduriencik instead spoke to his seven candidates a second time by phone over the weekend and planned to spend today mulling over his decision. It's possible he could call a couple of candidates again today, but he believes he has received enough information to make a call without having to see anyone a second time.

"I'm pretty confident that it's going to come from within that group of seven," he said Sunday night.

Zduriencik had previously suggested he might bring in a couple of managerial veterans to round out his group of first-time aspirants. But he was pleased with what he heard in the interviews and phone conversations and was confident he could have someone in place "by the middle of the week."

That means the next Mariners manager will come from a group of DeMarlo Hale, Joey Cora, Chip Hale, Randy Ready, Don Wakamatsu, Jose Oquendo and Brad Mills. If Zduriencik makes his decision today and advises his selected candidate by Tuesday, then an official announcement and news conference would likely be held the following day or Thursday at the latest.

Cora said on Sunday that he had spoken by phone with Zduriencik on Saturday and got the feeling a decision would come pretty quickly.

"He seemed like he knew which direction he was leaning towards," Cora said. "It sounded like he was going to make his decision by today or tomorrow."

Wakamatsu said he had a 15-to-20-minute phone conversation with Zduriencik on Saturday as well, and agreed it didn't seem like the process would be dragged out. As was the case with an anxious Cora, Wakamatsu said the waiting period is nerve-racking.

"It is," he said. "You want to get started, if you're the candidate. I'm chomping at the bit."

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com