Seattle Mariners general manager search nearing an end

The Seattle Mariners are nearing the end of their search for a general manager, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

The two finalists for the job appear to be former Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto and Billy Eppler, assistant to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.

Seattle fired general manager Jack Zduriencik in late August and have been looking for a replacement in the weeks since. Interim general manager Jack Kingston interviewed for the permanent job along with Blue Jays executive Dana Brown, but neither appear to be in the running at this point.

Dipoto was the Angels' general manager for more than three seasons, taking the job after 2011, and led the Angels to a division title in 2014. He also oversaw several marquee free agent additions, including first baseman Albert Pujols and outfielder Josh Hamilton. He also signed 2014 AL MVP Mike Trout to a six-year contract extension.

Eppler was also promoted to his current role after the 2011 season, moving to the assistant GM role under Cashman. He has been with the Yankees since 2004 and was promoted to head of professional scouting in 2005.

The job security of Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon will likely depend on who is hired as general manager, though he was thought to be safe in his role when Zduriencik was fired.