Seattle Mariners promote longtime executive to lead business operations
By Nick Pasion – Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal
The Seattle Mariners have tapped Kevin Martinez to be their next president of business operations, the team announced Friday.
The 34-year Mariners employee will be elevated from his role as senior vice president of marketing and communications and will now oversee all aspects of the Mariners business operations.
Martinez takes over after Catie Griggs resigned from the role in July, citing a desire to be closer to family. She was subsequently named president of business operations for the Baltimore Orioles. Mariners Chairman John Stanton filled in on an interim basis following Griggs' departure.
"Over the course of our search, Kevin set himself apart with his creativity, his vision and his passion for our team and our organization," Stanton said in a news release.
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The Mariners are coming off a disappointing season in which the team missed the playoffs for the second year in a row following its first postseason run in two decades in 2022. The team ranked 14th in attendance among the 30 MLB teams in 2024 with 2.56 million attendees, down 4.8% from 2.69 million the year before, according to Baseball Reference.
Prior to being named a senior vice president in 2017, Martinez served for 16 years as the Mariners' vice president of marketing. He joined the organization in 1990 as a promotion manager.
During his time with the organization, Martinez has shaped the Mariners brand, overseeing marketing, advertising, social media, research, in-park entertainment, special events and communications, according to the team. He also led the creation of FanFest, Opening Week Warm-up, Mariners Street Fleet and the Mariners Bar League.
"I believe our team is on the doorstep of our greatest moments and achievements, and my focus is working with the talented people within our organization to reach those heights on behalf of all our fans," Martinez said in the release