This was the lead item on staff writer Larry LaRue's story that appears in today's News Tribune. It addresses the key issue of what is going to happen with the Mariners' coaching staff for next year, and surprise! ... it looks like manager Mike Hargrove might be back.. Here it is:

The news for manager Mike Hargrove and his smaller coaching staff Thursday wasn’t who was fired, but who wasn’t.

Twenty-four hours after Seattle Mariners coaches Ron Hassey and Dan Rohn were fired, all indications were that Hargrove and the rest of his coaching staff – Rafael Chaves, Carlos Garcia, Jeff Pentland, Mike Goff and Jim Slaton – would be back in 2007.

While there was no vote of confidence announced by general manager Bill Bavasi, sources within the organization pointed out that it would make no sense to fire two coaches in mid-September if the manager and his staff were going to be fired the first week in October.

Another indication was that Bavasi and Hargrove have compiled a list of candidates to replace Hassey as the team’s bench coach next season.

Neither Hargrove nor Bavasi would expand much upon the firings, although Hargrove acknowledged telling Hassey he wasn’t coming back next season was emotional for both men.

“Ron is one of my best friends, in or out of the game,” Hargrove said. “Telling him was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.”

Were Hassey and Rohn sacrificed so that others could keep their jobs?

Apparently not. The debate on Hassey and whether he was a “good fit” as a bench coach began two months ago, and when the decision was made not to bring him back next year, Hargrove gave Hassey the choice – stay through Oct. 1 or leave.

Hassey chose to leave.

The decision on Rohn, who was in a newly created administrative coaching position, was more about a clash of personalities. Sources said Rohn disagreed with Hargrove’s managing and, worse, talked to other coaches and players about it.

When that got back to Hargrove, Rohn’s departure was a matter of time, sources said.

As for Hargrove, he has one year left on his contract and is expected to return next season. That may not sell season-tickets for 2007, but it makes business sense if the Mariners are to stay with Bavasi – as it appears they will.

If Bavasi fired Hargrove and hired another manager to a multiyear deal, that manager would be a lame duck should the team then fire Bavasi next season. As it stands, the Mariners are apparently willing to give both the general manager and manager one more year to return to contention in the American League West.