By Ryan Divish

The Seattle Times

Justin Hollander’s climb up the front-office ladder has reached a new level, with only a chance at general manager for another team likely ahead of him.

On Monday, the Mariners and general manager Jerry Dipoto announced Hollander has been promoted to vice president and assistant general manager in charge of baseball operations.

“Justin is very deserving of this promotion, having been an excellent leader within our group since arriving in 2016,” Dipoto said in a news release. “His experience, creativity and diverse skills make him an integral part of all that we do in baseball operations.”

Hollander was hired as the team’s director of baseball operations on Sept. 23, 2016. He was promoted to an assistant general manager Nov. 1, 2018.

The promotion to a vice president comes with increased responsibilities. Per the news release, Hollander “will assist Dipoto in all areas of major league operations (travel, scheduling, budgeting, payroll, roster management, etc.) as well as player procurement, negotiations of major league contracts, advance scouting and 40-man roster composition. He provides oversight for the baseball operations front office and analytics staff. He is also the primary liaison to Major League Baseball/Office of the Commissioner.”

Hollander came to the Mariners after spending nine seasons with the Angels, working with Dipoto when he was the organization’s general manager.

Hollander is a native of Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio State in 2001 with a degree in business administration. He earned a law degree from the University of San Diego in 2004. Hollander lives in Seattle with his wife, Whitney, and their children, Elliott and Lucy.