GM Jack Zduriencik won't wait around to begin search for Mariners' next manager

The Mariners, yet again in the market for a new manager after firing Don Wakamatsu, will have plenty of competition for the top candidates.

Numerous teams could have vacancies after the season. And so while Daren Brown on Monday was named interim manager through the end of the season, general manager Jack Zduriencik is not going to wait that long to begin the vetting process for a full-time manager.

Asked if he will start doing due diligence and perhaps interviewing candidates before the end of the season, Zduriencik said, "I think that will probably happen.

"We want to give Daren a chance to get his feet wet and manage this club until the end of the year. In the same sense, I think we'll probably hear from a lot of people. There could be a lot of openings this year at the major-league level. There will be candidates out there who want to talk sooner rather than later."

Braves manager Bobby Cox, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston and Cubs manager Lou Piniella have all announced they will retire after the season. The Florida Marlins fired manager Fredi Gonzalez (a top candidate to replace Cox) in June and are finishing the season with interim manager Edwin Rodriguez. The Diamondbacks are also finishing the year with an interim manager, Kirk Gibson, after firing A.J. Hinch.

Several established managers are reaching the ends of their contracts, leaving them with unsettled futures, including Tony La Russa (Cardinals), Joe Torre (Dodgers) and Dusty Baker (Reds).

In addition, the job status of Pirates manager John Russell, Mets manager Jerry Manuel and Brewers manager Ken Macha are all tenuous.

Speculation on a replacement for Wakamatsu is sure to begin with former Rangers and Mets manager Bobby Valentine, currently working for ESPN after a successful stint managing the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. Valentine, 62, finished his playing career with the Mariners in 1979. He has a 1,117-1,072 record in 15 years as a major-league manager.

Another top candidate could be former Mariners second baseman Joey Cora, a finalist for the job when Zduriencik hired Wakamatsu in November 2008. Cora, who is Ozzie Guillen's bench coach with the Chicago White Sox, has long expressed his desire to manage the Mariners.

The other finalists in 2008, besides Cora, were current Padres hitting coach Randy Ready, Red Sox coaches DeMarlo Hale and Brad Mills (the latter since hired as Astros manager), Cardinals coach Jose Oquendo and Diamondbacks coach Chip Hale.

It is believed Zduriencik contacted Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell about the previous managerial opening, but Farrell decided not to pursue the position. It is not known if that stance has changed.

Another pitching coach with the same reputation is Bryan Price, who served in that position in Seattle and is currently Baker's pitching coach in Cincinnati. Price interviewed for the Mariners' managerial opening when they hired Melvin. The success in San Diego of Bud Black — a highly regarded pitching coach without managerial experience before the Padres hired him — might make the M's more likely to take a long look at Price.

La Russa and Baker have both been linked to the Mariners in the past, but their availability is not guaranteed. Both are having successful seasons and could wind up with extensions. While Baker has expressed interest in the M's job previously, the Mariners have bypassed opportunities to interview him.

Piniella, who managed the Mariners to their greatest success, would be an obvious sentimental choice, but he turns 67 in August and doesn't appear eager to continue his managerial career after a disastrous season with the Cubs.

Managers with previous experience available on the market include Willie Randolph, Eric Wedge, Clint Hurdle, John Gibbons, Bob Brenly and Lloyd McClendon.

Another potential candidate is Spokane native Ryne Sandberg, who is managing in the Cubs' system and is considered a leading candidate to replace Piniella in Chicago.

Brown will have nearly two months to make his case to be retained full time.

"At the end of the year, we will open this job up and seek the best candidate possible," Zduriencik said. "In baseball and any sport or walk of life, there's always an evaluation process going on. Daren will be evaluated as we move forward."

Asked if he believed the job would be a tough sell because of the fact Wakamatsu was fired in less than two years, Zduriencik said no.

"This is a great sell," he said. "With the right fit in this community, this is going to be a pretty special place. Someone could come in, look at what's happening in the minor leagues, look at what's happening on the big-league level and say, 'This has got the potential to happen in a reasonably short period of time. This is something I'd like to sink my teeth into.' "

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com