The Mariners have interviewed former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek for their managerial opening, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Varitek is currently serving as a special assistant in the Red Sox organization.
Varitek joins Tim Bogar, Phil Nevin, Charlie Montoyo and Alex Cora as candidates for the Mariners, who fired Lloyd McClendon earlier this month. New general manager Jerry Dipoto is thought to favor Bogar as the lead candidate for the job, but Varitek's entry into the search may shake things up.
Varitek, who spent his entire fifteen-year major-league career with the Red Sox, was originally drafted by Seattle in 1994 before being traded along with Derek Lowe to Boston in 1997. He is considered one of the brightest minds in baseball and was thought to be a managerial candidate throughout his playing career, though many believed he would eventually end up leading the Red Sox.
Varitek has also been linked to the Padres in the past, though it is unclear if San Diego has considered him in their search for a new manager.