The door was opened Monday morning for Mariners manager Mike Hargrove to be reunited with his longtime pitching coach Mark Wiley.
The position became available when general manager Bill Bavasi announced that Bryan Price was not among the four coaches returning in 2006. Those coming back are third base coach Carlos Garcia, interim first base coach Mike Goff, bench coach Ron Hassey and bullpen coach Jim Slaton.
Wiley figures to be one of the leading candidates to replace Price. He was Hargrove's pitching coach with the Indians and Orioles and served as the Marlins' pitching coach this season. With manager Jack McKeon retiring as Marlins manager, Wiley could become available to the Mariners.
Price, hitting coach Don Baylor and Jeff Newman, who started the season as third base coach before sustaining an Achilles tendon injury, will not return next season.
"I want to thank all my coaches for their hard work this season," Hargrove said in a statement. "I am pleased to be able to offer positions to Carlos, Mike, Ron and Jim. I am sorry that Bryan and Don have decided to resign their spots, but I wish them nothing but the best in their future."
Price has long been regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in the Major Leagues and finished the second year of his two-year contract.
"I have enjoyed my time here but, after 18 years, I think it is time for me to go somewhere else," Price said in a prepared statement issued by the Mariners. "For me to keep growing as a coach I need to get out of my comfort zone and this is a way to do that."
He spent the past six seasons as Seattle's pitching coach and the Mariners' pitching staff has ranked among the Major League leaders four times, leading the league in ERA in 2001 and second in '03 when the same five starters -- Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer, Gil Meche, Ryan Franklin and Joel Pineiro -- started all 162 games, the first time that happened since the 1965 Dodgers.
Baylor spent one season with the Mariners, who have had four hitting coaches in the past five seasons -- Gerald Perry, who departed after the 2002 season, Lamar Johnson ('03) and Paul Molitor ('04).
"I have decided not to return as hitting coach so that I will be able to pursue other opportunities," Baylor said.
Garcia began the season as the first base coach, moving to third in late August when Newman departed. Garcia will continue to coach third and work with the Major League infielders. Goff was the Mariners Minor League coordinator of instruction for 14 seasons before being named interim Major League first base coach. He will return as first base coach, as well as coaching the outfielders and baserunning.
Hassey returns as Hargrove's bench coach, as well as working with the catchers.
Slaton has been in the Mariners organization for nine seasons.