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Seattle Mariners

MLB Notes: Seattle Mariners bring back entire coaching staff for 2017

Associated Press

The Seattle Mariners will bring back their entire coaching staff for the 2017 season after the club won 86 games and barely missed the postseason.

The Mariners announced the decision Thursday. Manager Scott Servais said Manny Acta (third base coach), Tim Bogar (bench coach), Casey Candaele (first base coach), Mike Hampton (bullpen coach), Edgar Martinez (hitting coach) and Mel Stottlemyre (pitching coach) will all return in their positions.

There will be one addition to the coaching staff as Scott Brosius will join the major league club as an assistant coach. Brosius served as the hitting coach for Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners system. Chris Prieto will return in a different role as a special projects coach.

Bautista, Encarnacion could leave Blue Jays

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion highlight a list of nine Toronto free agents, including six on this year’s playoff roster.

Jays President Mark Shapiro said in September “probably the most likely scenario” was that Toronto’s free agents would be allowed to hit the open market. OF Michael Saunders, righty R.A. Dickey, lefty Brett Cecil and right-hander Joaquin Benoit are among the remainder of that group.

Clearing the bases

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw offered to pitch in Game 5 of the N.L. Championship Series, but was turned down in favor of starting Game 6. … All seven members of Nationals manager Dusty Baker’s coaching staff will return to the team for the 2017 season. … U.S. Coast Guard officials say they’ll examine lighting on the Miami Beach jetty involved in a boat crash that killed Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez and two others last month. Rear Admiral Paul Thomas said in a letter this week to U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio that the Coast Guard is commissioning a new analysis of the north and south jetties at the entrance to a channel that runs past the southern end of Miami Beach. … Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since ending his 67-year career. Scully was at Game 5 of the NLCS as a spectator.