SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners offered contracts to all their coaches to return next season, including hitting coach Edgar Martinez, except for one.

That was pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr.

Mariners manager Scott Servais announced that decision on Monday at Safeco Field after Stottlemyre completed his third season with the club, joining the staff the year Servais took over in 2016.

This comes despite a 2018 season where the pitching staff performed above most expectations, including a starting rotation that featured five pitchers all start at least 25 games — the only team in the major leagues to do that.

“We met with the coaches this morning and Mel Stottlemyre will not be back,” Servais said. “We’re going to go in a different direction there. All the other guys have been invited back.

“Mel has been with me here since I got the job the past year. I have a very close relationship with Mel. I just thought where we’re at currently and where we want to be going forward, we’ll go with a different voice and a different direction there.”

Left-hander Marco Gonzales after his final start of the season attributed much of his growth this past season to Stottlemyre.

“Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre has really just brought me to another level this year and I’m incredibly thankful for him,” Gonzales said. “It’s not just anything I’ve done.”

Though asked recently if he’d credit much of the success of the rotation to Stottlemyre’s work, especially with breakout seasons from Gonzales and left-hander Wade LeBlanc, Servais said much of that goes to their entire coaching staff on the pitching side, which includes Jim Brower and bullpen coach Brian De Lunas.

He said he expects that three-coach model to continue.

“I don’t have a clear blueprint, but I will say all three guys brought a lot to the table,” Servais said. “I think that’s one of the reasons we got as much out of our pitching staff this year as we did. I like the model. I think we can get even better in that regard and getting the group prepared and getting the most out of everyone.

“I don’t have a blueprint for what seats everybody is going to be in yet, but I do like the model.”

Stottlemyre graduated from Davis High School in Yakima in 1982 and was actually drafted by the Mariners out of high school but didn’t sign. He became the Astros’ first-round pick in 1985.