Mariners Tap Scott Hunter As Scouting Director

The Mariners on Monday promoted Scott Hunter to director of amateur scouting, the team announced. Hunter succeeds Tom McNamara, who was promoted to special assistant to the general manager earlier this month.

Hunter, 40, has been the Mariners' international crosschecker since 2014. Prior to going to Seattle, Hunter spent 10 years working for the Mets in a variety of roles. He was the Mets' Northeast crosschecker from 2009-2013; in those years the Mets selected Steven Matz, Jack Leathersich and Matt Bowman out of the Northeast. Prior to crosschecking, Hunter served as an area scout from 2004-09; players taken from his area who reached the big leagues include Kevin Mulvey and Zach Lutz.

Mariners executive vice president and general manager Jerry Dipoto offered high praise for Hunter.

“Scott has seen professional baseball through a myriad of different lenses, both domestically and abroad,” Dipoto said in a statement. “His diverse experiences have produced a well-balanced set of skills as an evaluator, communicator, teacher, and decision-maker. This well-deserved promotion will only enhance the positive impact he continues to make with the Mariners.”

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The Mariners envision the 23-year-old righthander pitching in the big leagues in 2021, but they are mindful of his workload.

Prior to his career in scouting, Hunter played affiliated minor league baseball for nine years. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Dodgers in 1993 and spent time in the minors with the Mets, Expos, Indians and Orioles, reaching as high as Triple-A.