Mariners reached out to former GM Pat Gillick, per report

The Seattle Mariners reached out to former general manager Pat Gillick to see if he was interested in returning to the team, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

Gillick turned the Mariners down, according to Passan, and will stay with the Philadelphia Phillies in an advisory role. He served as the general manager from 2000-2003, helping to lead Seattle to back-to-back playoff appearances for the only time in franchise history.

Current general manager Jack Zduriencik is reportedly under contract with the Mariners through next season. Zduriencik's most recent deal was set to expire before the season began, but he may have signed a one-year extension before the year began, according to Ryan Divish of the News Tribune.

The Mariners, however, have yet to officially confirm the contract extension. The team also let go of Tony Blengino, who Zduriencik brought with him from Milwaukee.

The club has only posted one winning season since Zduriencik took charge in 2009. The Mariners do have a strong young core of position players currently in the majors, with a few solid pitching prospects nearing their major-league debuts.

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