Don Mattingly's new two-year deal with the Phillies keeps DeMarlo Hale in the Blue Jays dugout for now. Seattle's opening is the next one to watch.

Hale's name had surfaced as a possible Phillies candidate, at least on a Philadelphia podcast. That chatter ended Wednesday when Mattingly locked up the job.

The connection made sense. He and Mattingly worked together in Toronto for two seasons, including the 2025 World Series run, and Mattingly's son Preston is the Phillies' GM.

Philadelphia stuck with what worked, and that's good news for the Jays. Hale stays on as John Schneider's associate manager heading into 2027.

But Seattle is still open. The Mariners parted ways with Dan Wilson after a 76-86 season, a year after reaching Game 7 of the ALCS.

There's no indication Hale is on Seattle's list. Still, his resume makes him the kind of name teams at least call.

DeMarlo Hale's 25 years of coaching keep his name in the mix

He's coached in the majors for 25 years and served as bench coach for six franchises. Before that, he spent 10 seasons managing in the minors.

His first big-league job came in 2002 with the Rangers, as first base coach and outfield instructor.

The closest he's come to the top job was in 2023. He briefly ran the Guardians when Terry Francona missed several weeks for medical reasons.

In Toronto, he's been the bridge between players and staff. He was bench coach from 2013 to 2018, then returned as associate manager for the last three seasons.

Why does a 65-year-old with that resume still not have a full-time job? Some of it is timing, and some of it is how rarely teams gamble on longtime lieutenants.

If Seattle calls, Hale should take the meeting, and Toronto should let him go. He's earned a shot more than plenty of first-time managers who got one.

He's the understudy who knows every line of the play. At some point, somebody has to hand him the stage.

For now, Mattingly's deal keeps Toronto's staff intact. If the Mariners come knocking, Schneider could lose his most trusted voice right when the pressure on him is highest.