SEATTLE -- Now that the World Series is over, the post-Piniella era begins in earnest as the Seattle Mariners search for a new manager.

Interviews start this week, focusing on in-house candidates before moving to others, including former San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs manager Jim Riggleman.

''We've already done a lot of work,'' Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said Sunday night. ''We've whittled the list down so it's fewer than 20. I don't think we'll interview that many.''

Lou Piniella spent 10 seasons in Seattle before asking the Mariners to release him from his contract, saying he wanted to be closer to his family in Tampa, Fla. He is expected to be introduced Monday as the new manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Riggleman currently is bench coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Also interviewing for the Mariners job are Seattle bench coach John McLaren, pitching coach Bryan Price and Lee Elia, the former Cubs and Phillies manager who has spent the last two seasons as a Mariners consultant and part-time coach.

Other candidates include Yankees third base coach Willie Randolph and Orioles bench coach Sam Perlozzo, a former third-base coach with the Mariners.

Giants manager Dusty Baker has been mentioned as a possible candidate. With a price reportedly in the $4 million range, he could be too expensive for the Mariners, who were scheduled to pay Piniella $2.5 million in the final year of a three-year deal next season.

Anaheim pitching coach Bud Black also has been mentioned as a possible candidate.

''It's hard to know how long this will take,'' Armstrong said. ''We've got some people we couldn't really talk to during the World Series. There are some we'd like to talk to and see if they'd really like to manage the Mariners.''

Seattle reached the playoffs four times in the last seven seasons and won a record-tying 116 games in 2001. The new manager will be expected to keep things rolling.

''Lou did a tremendous job here,'' Armstrong said. ''It made us and our players realize that we were winners. Very few teams won 300 games over three years, and we have. We've got a nice ball club.''

Seattle was favored last spring to win the AL West, but finished third behind Oakland and Anaheim despite winning 93 games. Armstrong was encouraged to see the division-rival Angels win the World Series.

''We have a lot of work to do this offseason with our players and our new field manager,'' he said. ''We think we'll find the right manager.''